The Death and Life of Han Solo
by GreatOne
Summary: Han Solo disappears during a test flight, and when Luke and Leia find him, he's in a very unexpected place.
1. Chapter 1

**THE DEATH AND LIFE OF HAN SOLO**

Really, really AU, one year post ROTJ

Leia/Luke/...Han?

_Mon Calamari Capital Ship_

_Deep space, outer regions_

"Are you sure you don't want me to try it first, General Solo?" Wedge asked, trying to keep the envy out of his voice.

"Nope. I wouldn't miss this test flight for anything," Han said, grinning at Antilles as the pair entered the hanger. "And quit it with the General load. Groveling will get you nowhere."

"But it could be dangerous," Wedge persisted. "I think I should try it before you do."

Han stopped short. "So.. you don't think I'm capable of handling it?"

"No, no, that's not it. But the New Republic needs you, and Leia..."

"Wedge, you're just jealous 'cuz you're not the first to take her out. Admit it."

"Fine! But if you get killed, Leia will kill _me. _Not to mention Chewie will rip me apart," Wedge said, throwing up his hands in defeat. "I'm just trying to save my own skin."

Han laughed. "Chewie won't blame you. Too much."

"That makes me feel so much better, Han."

Han looked across the hanger at the sleek prototype New Republic one-man fighter. It gave him a thrill just looking at it, and the idea that he would be taking it out for its first test flight was even more thrilling. Of course, Wedge was right. If anything went wrong and Leia found out, there would be hell to pay. But what could go wrong? This new ship was designed and computer tested by the best engineers the New Republic employed.

Groups of pilots and engineers stood around on the deck of the Mon Calamari capital ship, anxiously awaiting this long anticipated moment. Chewie was among those standing around waiting, and when he saw Solo dressed in his orange flight suit, the Wookiee let out a large roar of greeting to his friend, startling those unaccustomed to the bellow of the Wookiee. "Hey, Chewie!" Han waved his friend over.

Chewie was no more eager to have Han test this ship than Wedge. Even if nothing went wrong, the Wookiee was not looking forward to Leia's reaction when she eventually found out. *Cub, are you certain this is a good idea?*

"Not you, too," Han said with an exaggerated sigh. "Nothing is going to go wrong. Trust me."

Chewie shook his head and gave Han a bone-crushing hug. *Be careful.*

"Hey." Han stepped back and gave his co-pilot a mock injured look. "It's me!" He gave his partner a wink and swaggered over to the shiny new ship, grabbed the ladder rung, and climbed onboard. The Corellian picked up his helmet, giving a wave to the small crowd gathered below. A resounding cheer went up and Han gave them a cocky grin before placing the helmet on his head, then hitting the switch that closed the top hatch of the fighter. Immediately, the pilots and engineers left the hanger for the safety of the observation deck.

Once the large hanger doors locked down, Han turned on the powerful engines, and expertly turned the nose of the ship to face the exit. It had been a long time since the pilot felt such pure excitement. The outer doors opened to the blackness of space and Han pulled the throttle forward slowly, guiding his ship out of the belly of the large Capital ship. The tiny ship was incredibly responsive to every command. As he got the 'feel' for the controls, the Corellian put the ship through harder and more complex maneuvers.

"How's it going, General?" Wedge's voice came clearly through Han's headset.

"Fantastic," Solo replied. "Every pilot's dream ship."

Wedge gave a deep sigh. "Sure. Rub it in."

"I'm going to take it for a short hyperspace hop, and then return. I'm sending the coordinates over to you now."

"Got them," Wedge replied. A moment later, the small ship disappeared in the direction Han had indicated. "According to Solo's coordinates, the hop should take two minutes in one direction, and two minutes back," Wedge said to the engineers standing next to him.

Two minutes passed. As the third minute began ticking down, one of the engineers asked, "What's that?"

"What's what?" Wedge snapped. Until that moment, he hadn't realized he'd been so on edge.

"That." The engineer pointed out the viewport. All eyes turned and looked in awe as a swirling crater opened in the middle of what had been, moments before, regular space speckled with stars. The crater grew rapidly in size, resembling a giant purple mouth with darts of crackling blue lightning along the edges. The Mon Calamari ship began bucking and straining against an invisible grip that suddenly was threatening to pull them into the hole.

"Helm!" Wedge screamed into the comlink to the bridge. "Pull back! Pull back!"

The crew of the ship quickly obeyed the orders, and the large ship turned and struggled away from the gaping anomaly.

"Sir!" a crewman from the bridge yelled over the comm. "We are breaking free, and clearing the pull of the hole!"

"Good," Commander Antilles responded.

*Aroooughhh.*

Wedge snapped his attention back to the viewport. Han's small fighter craft had returned from its hyperspace jump. Close, far too close, to the maw.

"Han!" Wedge yelled into the comlink. "Pull up!"

"What the...." Han's voice crackled over the link. "Where in seven hells did _that _come from?"

"Pull up!" Wedge repeated frantically, trying to be heard over the howling Wookiee.

"I'm try...," he retorted. "I.... caught......" Han's words were breaking up. The crew watched in horror as the small ship was pulled ever closer toward the strange opening.

"Use the tractor beam!" Wedge ordered.

"We can't, sir!" a crew member responded. "We're too far away, and if we try to get closer we'll get caught in the pull."

A blinding flash lit up the room, and the crew of the cruiser instinctively threw up their hands to protect their eyes. A moment later, they looked back out of the viewport into the clear, star-dotted space. The vortex had vanished.

"Han! Han! Can you hear me?"

"Sir, the prototype ship is floating... dead in space!" another crew member answered.

"Get closer, and get a tractor beam on it!"

Chewie and Wedge barely gave the shield doors time to close before rushing into the hanger. The New Republic fighter sat on the deck, with no apparent damage. A ladder was quickly placed on the side of the ship, and Chewie climbed up before the crew had time to secure it.

*Raaughhhh!*

"Chewie," Wedge called up, "What is it? Get him out of there!"

The giant Wookiee punched in the entry code and screamed again.

"Medics!" Wedge yelled, looking up at the Wookiee, his heart pounding in fear. "Get the medics!"

Chewie turned his grief stricken blue eyes toward Wedge and climbed back down the steps. Without a word, Wedge pulled himself up the rungs. Lying in disarray inside the cockpit was Han's clothing and his helmet. Shaking, Wedge picked up the flight suit. Like the ship, there were no marks on the helmet or clothes.

Han had vanished as if he had never existed.

* * *

Hapan Palace

Three years later.

Leia sat up in bed, her heart pounding. _Not again!_ she thought as she shut her eyes. Once again, she had dreamt of Han Solo. For the past three years, it was always the same dream. Han was standing above her at the top of a dry mountaintop, reaching his hand out for her and calling her name. He was not dressed as Han was always dressed, in his standard white shirt and spacers vest, but in loose tan clothes Leia had never seen him wearing. Still, Leia knew it was Han, and no matter how hard she tried, she couldn't climb that dry mountain. Pebbles and rocks would slip out from under her feet, and for every step she took toward Han, she slid back down two.

Now she was two months away from becoming the wife of Prince Isolder. At first, Leia had resisted his proposal, coming so unexpectedly after her meeting with the Hapans. But, eventually, she had bowed to the pressure. _What difference does it make? _she had asked herself. It didn't matter to her that she wasn't in love with Isolder. The man she had given her heart to was forever gone. Only her memories remained - memories and the dream that would not reelease her from its grip.

Leia thought back to the day Wedge had called her with the news. It had seemed so unreal to her that Han was gone, that he had simply vanished. The five of them - Leia, Luke, Wedge, Lando and Chewie ― had spent months searching the sector where the vortex had so suddenly appeared, then disappeared. Sensors gave no indication of any abnormal readings in the area, and no amount of waiting and hoping had made the strange hole reappear.

The close friends had supported each other during the difficult days after Han's disappearance. He had meant a great deal, in different ways, to each of them. Han himself would have been surprised and embarrassed at the outpouring of grief and emotion at his memorial service, held one year from the day he had vanished.

Chewie had remained by Leia's side, her companion, just as he had been Han's protector. At least until her engagement to Isolder. Once she had accepted the proposal, her future mother-in-law had insisted that Chewie return to his home planet. "_He is nothing more than a reminder of the past, Princess," the Queen Mother had told Leia. "It is unseemly that you keep him around now that you are engaged to another man."_

So Chewie was back on Kashyyyk, while Luke was on Yavin with his Jedi students. Everybody was getting on with their lives. Except in her heart Leia did not feel as though she was moving on, even if she was now engaged. She knew, beyond a shadow of a doubt, that if Han were to reappear on her wedding day, she would leave Isolder at the altar for the Corellian that still held her heart.

* * *

Yavin

The sticky Yavin atmosphere made the clothes cling to Luke's body as he jogged along a narrow path. He couldn't stop thinking about his sister and her upcoming marriage. Leia had not been the same person since Han disappeared. She had lost her vibrant, outgoing personality, and acted like she was operating on autopilot. The notion of marrying someone you didn't love, just for political reasons, seemed very wrong to Luke. He'd tried to talk Leia out of the idea, but she had been resigned to the idea of a loveless marriage, claiming it was for the good of the New Republic. Short of kidnapping her, there wasn't much Luke could do to stop Leia from making this mistake.

Luke stopped and sat on a boulder, placed his hands on his knees, and shut his eyes. He felt the Force flowing all around him, in the foliage, in the insects and animals. An image appeared in his mind. A dry, orange tinted mountain range, surrounded by hot sand. Focusing his thoughts, he let himself drift over to the mountains, as if he were floating above them. One mountain in particular stood out - with a tall, narrow peak that hooked to the right. Near the top of the peak was a cave opening. Luke mentally willed himself toward the cavern. Peering into the dark interior, Luke could see a swirling, crackling maw. And even stranger still, he could hear a familiar male voice calling his name from inside the hole.

Luke's eyes snapped open. Somehow, somewhere, Luke had always believed Han was alive. Now he felt this was true with an overwhelming sense of urgency.

* * *

Hapes, two weeks later

The holocom was flashing when Winter walked into the room. Pressing the button, she was not overly surprised to see Luke's image shimmer into focus.

"Winter," Luke began. "It's nice to see you. How are you doing?"

"I'm fine," Winter said with a small smile. "Hold on for a second, while I get Leia."

Moments later, Princess Leia's image appeared. She looked tired and unhappy, but greeted her brother with a big smile. "Luke! It's so nice to see you." She meant that in the deepest sense. Other than Winter, Leia was completely alone on the Hapan world, while her future mother-in-law busily prepared Leia's wedding day, never once consulting Leia or asking her opinion. It was all so completely different than what Leia had always imagined her wedding would be like, and every time she tried to picture herself standing before the guests, in her mind's eye Isolder always faded away and was replaced by Han.

"It's nice to see you, too, Leia."

"If you're calling to ask me if I've changed my mind, the answer is no," she said with forced cheerfulness.

"Actually, I'd like to know if you could take a short trip with me," Luke asked carefully.

"A trip? Where?"

Luke hesitated for a moment. "The outer regions."

"The outer regions?" Leia frowned. "This had better not be about Han. I can't take anymore, Luke."

Luke knew exactly how his sister felt. They had all clung to hope for so long - even after the memorial service they had chased vague clues in the vain hope that something, anything at all, would lead them to Han. Luke immediately felt guilty for asking Leia to try again. "I understand," Luke said quietly. "I'll contact Chewie." Asking Chewie would not be much better. _*It's time to let my cub rest in peace, Skywalker,* _had been Chewie's last words on the subject of chasing false leads. "I'll see you in a month, for your wedding," Luke told his sister as he reached for the switch.

"Wait!" Leia leaned forward while Luke waited. "Come and pick me up. I'll go with you," she said quickly. _I am making a mistake. This is only going to break my heart again,_ she thought sadly. But if she didn't try, one last time, she would regret it for the rest of her life.

* * *

"You can't be serious! Our wedding is in six weeks," Isolder protested, incredulous. "What if you can't get back in time?"

"Luke said it is only a short trip, and I'm sure he'll get me back in plenty of time," Leia soothed her fiancé.

The tall prince frowned in disapproval. "Why do you need to go with him?"

"He said he heard about some Force-sensitives living on a planet the New Republic hasn't established relations with, and I need to talk to the leaders and smooth things out, politically," Leia lied, feeling only slightly guilty. "You know Luke is not a politician, Isolder."

"Well, this is the last time you are playing politician for the New Republic," Isolder said hotly. "And if Skywalker tries pulling anything like this again, I'll take him on myself, Jedi or not."

"Yes, dear," Leia said, trying to keep the annoyance out of her voice. _Han, after everything I have been through since you disappeared, if I ever do find you, you might want to vanish again!_

* * *

Outer Regions

_Millennium Falcon_

Luke had gone to Kashyyyk in his X-Wing before picking up Leia, and had asked Chewie to come with them for one last attempt to find Solo.

_*You are welcome to use the Falcon, Luke,* Chewie had said with a shake of his head. *But I don't think I can join you in this search. It is too difficult for me to handle when we fail, time after time.*_

_"All right," Luke had agreed. "But I hope I can explain it to Han why you aren't with us when we find him."_

Chewie had gone with Luke, knowing the Jedi had managed to manipulate him one more time.

"This is the exact location where the anomaly occurred," Leia said as she checked the coordinates. "We've been here a dozen times before, Luke. What is the difference_ this _time?"

"My vision is the difference," he answered his sister. "I saw a mountain, with a cave. If we can find that mountain, we may have a place to start looking."

Leia felt herself grow cold. "A mountain?"

Her brother turned in the pilot's seat to look directly at Leia. "Yes. A dry mountain, sort of orange colored, with a hooked peak."

The Princess shut her eyes. "I've been dreaming of that mountain for three years. Han is always standing at the top, calling my name. As hard as I try, I can't reach him."

"I'm not sure it is a dream, Leia," Luke said gently. "Maybe it has been a Force vision."

Guilt overwhelmed her as she whispered, "Then I've been ignoring Han this entire time?"

"I'm not sure, Leia," the Jedi replied. "You can't blame yourself for whatever happened to Han."

From the co-pilot's seat, Chewie gave a bark of surprise. "What is it, Chewie?" Luke questioned, reading the translator on the panel. After all these years, both Luke and Leia had learned to understand Chewie much better, but it was still a good idea to check the translator, just to be certain.

*A planet.* The Wookiee pointed to his sensors. *It was not there the other times we have been in this location.*

Luke studied the coordinates carefully. "I think it was... but the alignment of the planet's primary kept us from seeing it. Still, it's odd that it's not on any charts. I think we need to check this out."

* * *

An hour later.

The planet was mostly ocean, but it had a variety of continents with different climates, and each continent contained a few villages separated by vast distances. They landed the _Falcon_ near a small town, then Luke and Leia set out for the settlement, leaving Chewie with the ship. Since this particular town was populated by humans, Leia guessed that humans and non-humans might not get along on this planet. It appeared by the sensors the local populations lived very segregated lives. If a Wookiee entered the village it might create a problem they didn't need.

Even without Chewie, the villagers stared openly at them as they entered the town. "They aren't too accustomed to off-worlders, are they?" Leia asked under her breath, as she observed that the people wore dark grey or black tunics, with head coverings. Each person dressed precisely alike, and all the buildings were brown, with straight sides and flat roofs. The town was remarkable by its sheer dullness.

"I sense a great deal of fear and hostility toward us, Leia," Luke remarked softly. "It's not like they have never seen an off-worlder before, they just don't like them."

"That doesn't bode too well for us finding someone to help us."

Using the Force to seek out someone with less hostility than the others, Luke approached a middle-aged woman. "Hello," he began politely. "My name is Luke Skywalker, and this is my sister, Leia. Is there someone in charge we can speak to?"

"Why?" she asked in heavily accented Basic. "Off-worlders are not welcome here."

"We've gotten that impression," Leia remarked lightly.

"The Priest is in charge," the native replied. "You can find him in the center of town, in the largest building." She turned and hurried away.

* * *

Luke knocked on the flat door. This was, by far, the largest and oldest building in the town's center. The twins hoped it was the correct building - no one else would talk to them after the brief conversation with the woman. After a lengthy wait, the door swung slowly open. A bent over old man, with long gray hair, stood at the entry, watching them warily. "What do you want?" he snapped out.

"We would like to see the Priest," Luke replied.

"Follow me." The old man turned and hobbled off at a surprisingly fast pace, forcing Luke and Leia to hurry after him. Not only was the building very old, it was not very well maintained. Stacks of old books, disks, and broken pottery littered the interior of each room. They followed the man down a long hall, until they reached the last door. The old man pulled the door open, indicating Luke and Leia should enter. He followed them in, slamming the door shut behind him. "What do you want?" he repeated, his lined face betraying suspicion.

Brother and sister exchanged worried looks. Perhaps the man was senile. "We would like to see the Priest," Luke repeated his request.

The old man stepped up close to Luke and poked him in the chest with a sharp fingernail. "I _am_ the Priest, you idiot. Now, what do you want?"

"I'm sorry," Luke stammered out. "I did not mean to offend you. We are looking for a friend who disappeared near this system three years ago. I thought you might be able to offer us some assistance."

"Why would I know anything about that?"

"I'm not saying you know anything about his disappearance, but maybe you have seen similar anomalies occur in your system in the past," Luke continued to explain.

The Priest narrowed his eyes. "What kind of anomaly?"

"It was a large maw that suddenly opened up in space, with an intense gravitational pull. My friend's ship got too close, and he disappeared. Except the odd part is, his ship was still there."

"No," the old man answered shortly. "I know nothing. Go away."

"You're lying," Luke said without thinking. Indeed, the Force was screaming at Luke that this man knew exactly what he was describing.

"How dare you accuse me of lying!" the man spat out at Luke. "You are off-worlders! You must leave!"

"I am a Jedi, and the Force is telling me you are lying," Luke replied calmly.

"You don't have to be afraid of us," Leia added quickly. "We only want to find our friend, and we mean you no harm."

"_You_ may not want to harm us," the old man whispered. "But _they_ will want to harm you. The same way they harmed your friend. You are the ones that need to be afraid."

"They? Who are 'they'?" Leia asked the old man.

"We don't know what they call themselves. We call them The Collectors," he whispered, as he leaned in close to the Princess.

"Collectors?"

"Yes, they have lived in the mountains for millenniums. Long ago, when there were still Jedi, we used to be able to communicate with them, and all was well. Now all is silent until they want memories," he said fearfully.

Leia and Luke exchanged a confused look. "Memories? What does that mean?"

"The Collectors have no bodies. They only have minds, powerful minds that can do horrible things. The people of Terrall used to be able to provide them with companionship, back when there were Jedi, but no more," he said with a rueful smile. "Now, to keep ourselves safe, we live as uneventful lives as possible. That way we won't be taken."

"I'm afraid we still don't understand," Leia said softly. "Where were you taken?"

"The Collectors began taking our memories.. for their amusement. Then they would discard our bodies, as useless shells," he muttered with a sad sigh. "Since we try to live such boring lives, the Collectors have had to set traps in space to find more interesting memories to capture."

Leia struggled to find her voice. "Is that what happened to Han?"

"It appears to be the case," he agreed. "You must leave immediately. Coming here puts our lives at risk. You give us interesting memories. We can't have that... not if we want to stay alive."

"We need to go find these mountains, where the Collectors live," Luke said firmly. "We intend to get our friend back."

"It is too late for him," the Priest said sadly. "If you do not leave, they may take you, and you will become like your friend."

"We'll take that chance," Leia replied. "Please, give us directions, and we will leave your village quickly."

The old Priest shook his head. "Fine. I will give you a map to the correct location. But you cannot say you weren't warned."

* * *

The map the Priest provided directed them to a desert area in the southern hemisphere of the planet. The _Falcon_ skimmed close to the ground as Luke guided it to the mountain range.

"There's the mountain," Leia whispered as the curved peak came into view. She shivered, unable to believe that after all this time it was real.

Luke nodded and set the _Falcon_ down as closely as possible to the peak. Still, it was going to be a climb to get to the very top, where the ominous looking cave peered out like a dark eye overlooking the lifeless desert.

They exited the ship and were greeted with a blast of furnace hot, dry air. "This is even hotter than Tatooine," Luke said, a bit surprised by the intensity. "Can you two handle the hike to the top?"

*I am right behind you, Skywalker,* Chewie nodded.

Leia looked up at the peak. It was just like her dream, only now Han was not there reaching for her. And this time, she would not be slipping back down the rock slope. Giving Luke a small smile, she started the hike.

* * *

It took over an hour to climb to the cave entrance, and by then they were hot and exhausted. The cooling shade of the cave looked inviting rather than frightening.

"I'll go in first," Luke instructed. "Give me a minute to check it out, or we could all end up trapped."

Leia frowned at her brother, but couldn't think of a good reason to argue with his reasoning. "Be careful."

Luke grinned at Leia. "Always." Carefully and slowly, he made his way into the opening, using his lightsaber to light the interior. The young Jedi was surprised and disappointed; it was just a large, empty cave, with a high ceiling and smooth walls. "Leia, Chewie," he called out. "I think it's safe to come inside."

Moments later, Leia was at his side. "There isn't anything in here," she said, the disappointment evident in her voice. "This isn't any different from any of our other searches."

"I don't understand," Luke said, frustrated. "This is the cave in my Force vision." He turned to his sister. "The Priest wasn't lying about the Collectors, Leia. I could feel his fear."

"Well, maybe they left," Leia responded.

_"Why has a Jedi come to this One?" _a rumbling voice spoke.

Chewie gave a startled roar, and the twins looked at each other in surprise. The voice seemed to be coming from all around them. "Who are you?" Luke asked carefully. "I can't sense your presence in the Force."

_"My name is Baxjaqua. You cannot sense my presence unless I choose it." _Luke gave a jump as he suddenly felt the other's presence appear to him in the Force. Reaching out with the Force, Luke could only sense sadness and loneliness radiating from the cave walls. The being called Baxjaqua meant them no harm, Luke was certain.

"Are you one of the Collectors?" Leia asked nervously.

_"That is what the beings of this universe call me."_

"They said you collect memories of people, and then kill them," Luke said slowly. "Is this true?"

_"I do not kill," _the Voice replied_. "I re-place, after I take the memories."_

"Replace? What does that mean?"

The being called Baxjaqua was silent for some time. Finally he answered, _"I put them in another time, in another place, so they can gain new memories. I re-place them."_

"And what about the memories you take from them? What happens to those memories?" Leia questioned.

Suddenly, the wall of the cave started glowing and thousands of glowing crystals appeared lodged into the stone. _"They are stored, for my amusement."_

Leia stepped closer to Luke, and he put his arm protectively around her. "The Villagers said there were Collectors, as in more than one of you. Are there more of your kind?"

The Voice gave a heavy, weary sigh. _"Once, there were Ten of us, now there is only this One."_

"What happened to the others?"

_"They ceased to be, just as I will soon cease to be," _the Voice said sadly. _"And when I cease to be, so will the memories I have stored for so long."_

"Are you ill?" Leia questioned.

_"All things must end, and soon I must end."_

"How do you know so much about the Jedi?" Luke asked.

_"Once, we considered the Jedi our friends. They understood the Ten existed only through the Force, and only the Jedi did not fear us. When there were no more Jedi, we had no more friends. So alone, we were. It was then we started collecting memories, so we could feel. But even these memories could not keep us from our end. One by one, our existence ceased to be."_

"Did you take the memories from our friend?" Luke prodded. "Did you re-place him?"

"His name is Han Solo," Leia added.

_"Ah, Solo, his memories were so full and rich. He is one of my favorites."_

"We need him back," Leia begged. "Please."

_"I cannot return him to you. If you wish him back, you must go to the place I have put him, and return him to this cave."_

"How do we do that?" Luke questioned.

_"You must step through the portal, and return through the same portal. It is dangerous, and I cannot guarantee your success. It has never been done, bringing back a re-placed being."_

Leia shook her head in frustration. "How can you put someone in another time and place, and with amnesia? How do you expect them to survive?"

_"Amnesia?"_

"Yes, when someone can't remember who they are, or where they came from, it's called amnesia," she explained tightly.

_"You do not understand me, human. I send them to a different place, as infants."_

"Infant?" Leia gasped. "You mean Han is a child again?"

"How can we return him to this place, and return his memories if he is a child?" Luke asked, feeling a rising sense of panic.

_"I do not understand your question."_

"If we go through this portal, to retrieve our friend," Luke tried again, "we can't put the memories of an adult into the mind of a child."

_"Time is relative."_

"What does that mean?" Leia snapped. She was becoming angry at this ...Baxjaqua. She felt Luke give her arm a gentle squeeze, reminding her that this being held great powers. It would not be wise to anger it.

_"I can send you through the portal to whatever time you wish..... your friend can be as a child, teenager, adult.. "_

"So you can send us to him, and he can be the same age as when you snatched his memories?" Luke inquired. This was incredibly confusing to him, but this strange being seemed to take such things in stride.

_"Yes."_

"When can we leave?" Leia asked and looked over at Chewie as he roared his agreement.

_"Whenever you desire. Your non-human friend cannot go... this place has only sentient humans." _

Chewie seemed about to disagree, but Luke stopped him. "Chewie, if the people aren't used to seeing non-humans, it could cause major problems .. for all of us."

"We'll bring Han back, Chewie," Leia said as she hugged the Wookiee. "I promise."

_"Do not take too much time, humans." _The Voice spoke quietly. "_My end is near.... if this were not the case, I would not allow you to try and retrieve your friend. But if I cease to be when you are gone, the portal will not open for you, and you will be forever trapped in another time and place."_

On the opposite wall from the memory crystals, a swirling hole opened. The edges crackled and sparked.

_"Remember.... you must locate the same shaped mountain on this other-world. It, too, will contain this same cave, and the portal will appear to you in the cave. If you fail to find it, you will not be able to return."_

Brother and sister looked at each other, then held hands as they stepped into the maw.

* * *

"Luke?"

"I'm right here, Leia," her brother replied from beside her. Leia opened her eyes into bright, afternoon sun. Leafy green trees shaded the well kept park where both sister and brother now stood.

"Where are we?"

"I have no idea," Luke admitted. "There are lots of people surrounding us, but I don't sense any hostility coming from them."

Leia looked around and saw a path that led toward the sound of human voices. "Let's try the path," she suggested.

Luke nodded, so they walked a short distance, until they reached a clearing. Young humans, male and female, busily walked in different directions, chatting and holding what appeared to be actual books. A short distance further, strange black vehicles roared past each other, making both loud noise and emitting disgusting smells. "This is all so primitive," Luke whispered. "These people actually use fossil-based engines!"

"And we're being stared at," the Princess whispered back. "No one is dressed like us. All the women are wearing dresses."

Luke looked down at his dusty, dark clothing covered with his Jedi robe, then appraised his sister's white slacks and sleeveless tank top. He noted the young men wore loose slacks and short-sleeved shirts, many with pullover vests, and most with a strange rope hanging around their necks. Leia was right - they were not dressed to blend in with the locals. "Maybe no one will notice," he said hopefully.

"We've been noticed, trust me," Leia commented dryly.

"Well, at least we have clothes." Luke grinned. "Han's were left in his ship, remember?"

Leia glared at her brother. "I remember. Can you sense if Han's close?"

Luke shut his eyes and concentrated. After a moment he opened them, smiling. Although Han may not have retained his memories, his Force-sense was exactly the same as before. "That way." He pointed across the street to a grouping of old brick buildings, covered in greenery.

Ignoring all the blatant stares from the men and women, the pair made their way carefully across the busy street. Horns blared at them, and a man leaned out his window, shaking his fist at them. "Haven't you ever heard of a crosswalk, you stupid morons!"

Luke pulled Leia safely to the other side. "What's a moron?" he asked his sister.

* * *

The twins made their way into a building near the back of the campus, and walked down a quiet corridor. Each room they passed was filled with young men and women, obviously listening to a teacher. It was very apparent they were at some type of training facility.

"Han is very near," Luke indicated as they turned down another hallway.

"Do you suppose he is one of these students? I thought that Baxjaqua was supposed to send us to him when he was the same age as when he was stolen from us," Leia muttered in disgust.

"Well, maybe he misjudged," Luke replied. "After all, human ages may not mean much to him and these people are fairly close to our age."

"If it turns out he is_ younger _than me, I'm going to be very annoyed."

Luke only laughed, and then he came to a stop in front of a door. "He's in this room."

After three long years, Leia could barely contain her joy. Not only was Han alive, he was only a few feet away. A loud bell rang, and she jumped back, startled. Was everything so noisy on this planet? The door flew open, and students, overwhelmingly female, poured out of the door. Luke pulled Leia against the wall, out of the way of the rushing people. "Class must be over," he remarked with a grin.

"You think?" she asked sarcastically. Leia looked carefully at each exiting student. "Where's Han?"

"Still inside the room," Luke answered. "Come on." With the last student gone, Luke pulled his sister into the large room. It was filled with desks, and against one wall was a larger desk with a green, flat board behind it. Han Solo was sitting behind the large desk, wearing a clean white shirt and a strange brown patterned jacket. Around his neck, like the other males, he wore that odd rope. And he was wearing something on his face that sat on his nose in front of his eyes. Leia seemed to remember from ancient history holos that people used those to correct vision, eons ago. She couldn't remember what they were called, but it didn't matter. Han was here, alive and well. With her heart hammering in her throat, Leia noted his hair was shorter than usual, but he was the same age as the last time she had seen him.

"Han?"

He looked up from his flimsies, and removed the wire vision thing. A puzzled expression crossed his face as he took in the strange appearance of the young man and woman. "Excuse me?"

Luke and Leia exchanged worried looks as they realized their friend had no idea who they were. "We didn't think this through, did we?" Luke asked his sister. He turned to his long-time friend. "Hi, my name is Luke Skywalker, and I'm here to rescue you."

A frown appeared on Han's face as his puzzlement increased. Leia could have killed her brother. Luke's attempt at levity was not making things any better. Quickly she stepped forward and held out her hand. "My name is Leia Organa," she said before Han could respond to Luke's strange proclamation.

Han stood up slowly, and grasped her outstretched hand. "And my name is Dr. Indiana Jones. Can I help you?"

_Indiana Jones? What kind of strange name is that? _Leia thought to herself. But whatever he was calling himself, it was definitely Han, down to the scar on his chin. It was all Leia could do to keep from throwing herself in his arms and kissing him. Instead, she asked curiously, "You're a doctor?"

"A professor of archeology, actually," he answered with his familiar, lop-sided smile. Perhaps these were foreign exchange students. It might explain their strange dress and behavior. "If you're looking for Student Registration, you're in the wrong building."

"No, we are looking for you, Ha - Dr. Jones," Luke inserted. "Do you have time to talk to us?"

"I suppose so," Jones remarked cautiously. "That was my last class of the day. You can come with me into my office."

The siblings followed Dr. Jones into a small office, crowded with books and artifacts. There was barely room for a desk and chair, but the professor pushed aside some boxes and hauled in two wooden chairs, placing them in front of his small, very messy, desk.

Luke and Leia sat down, waiting for Jones to clear a space on his desk and give them his attention. He finally looked up. "Ok, go ahead. I'm listening."

Leia had never felt such a loss for words. She didn't even know where to begin. "Dr. Jones, we used to know you."

"Really? I can't recall ever meeting the two of you. When was this?"

Leia swallowed hard. It was difficult to look at Han, without any sign of recognition on his face. "Three years ago, you disappeared. We've been looking for you ever since."

"Disappeared? I haven't exactly been hiding. I've been teaching at this university for eight years."

"Han, you don't understand," Luke put in. "You aren't supposed to be here. This isn't your place, or time."

"You're right," Jones agreed with a frown. "I don't understand. And why do you keep calling me Han?"

"Because that's your name!" Leia raised her voice in panic. "You're not from this galaxy!"

Indiana Jones started laughing. "Did Brody put you two up to this? I'm starting to think that man has too much time on his hands."

"This isn't a joke," Luke replied earnestly. "You need to come back with us, before it's too late."

Dr. Jones shook his head, irritation flickering across his face. "I really don't have time for this. You need to leave before I get annoyed and call Campus Security."

Luke and Leia looked desperately at each other. "Are you adopted, Dr. Jones?" Leia asked.

The sudden change of subject caught him off guard. "What? No."

"Are you absolutely sure of that?" Luke said as he leaned forward.

"I'll tell you what," Dr. Jones responded with a conspiratorial whisper, as he copied Luke's posture. "Next time I see my dad, I'll be sure to ask him."

"Are you married? Do you have any children?" Leia questioned him, afraid of what his answer might be.

"No, and no," he replied with a shake of his head. "And I'm pretty sure you are too old to be any long-lost offspring."

Leia sighed and stood up. "Come on, Luke. This isn't getting us anywhere."

"Wait!" Luke exclaimed. "Will you believe us if I can show you proof that we're not from this galaxy?"

"What kind of proof?" Indiana asked, his eyes narrowing suspiciously.

Luke took out his lightsaber and being very careful not to point it at anything in the tight confines of the room, he ignited the green blade. He watched in satisfaction as Dr. Jones stared in awe at the humming weapon.

"What_ is _that thing?"

"It's called a lightsaber," Luke replied. "Are you convinced yet?"

"Not really," Dr. Jones mumbled, annoyed that these kids had managed to impress him. "But you have my attention. I'll give you fifteen minutes to tell me your story."

* * *

The twins walked away from the ivy-covered building in defeat. "At least he didn't call security after he heard our story," Luke said slowly.

"He didn't believe a word we were saying," Leia remarked sadly. "I think we need to take more drastic measures."

"What are you suggesting?"

"Kidnapping," Leia said simply.

That stopped Luke in his tracks. "We can't take him back against his will, Leia."

"Why not?"

"Because..." Luke trailed off, thinking. "Wouldn't that make us just as bad as Baxjaqua? Taking his memories of this life away, as if they don't matter, just so we can have Han back. It's not right."

Leia glared at her brother. "Don't go all Jedi on me, Luke. We're not going back without him."

"Fine," Luke sighed. "But just what do you suggest we do after we kidnap him? We have no credits, no transportation, and we don't even know where to find this mountain. I think this might require some planning."

"You'll think of something, Luke," Leia smiled. "After all, you're the brains."

* * *

"Marcus?"

"Yes, Indy?" Marcus Brody said as he looked up from his newspaper. He watched as Indiana Jones entered his office and sat down in an old leather chair.

"Am I adopted?" Earlier, Indy had laughed and dismissed the statement made by the two strangers, but he had not been able to get the question out of his mind. Asking his friend Marcus Brody, someone he had known his entire life, would ease his concerns, even if Indy suspected Brody would get a chuckle at his expense.

Marcus sat back in his chair, a shocked expression appearing on his face. "Who told you?"

That was _not _the answer Indy had expected. Denial - yes, laughter - probably. But not, '_who told you_?'

"I _am_ adopted?" he asked, stunned.

"This isn't my place, Indy," Brody said quietly. "You should talk to your father."

"Apparently, I don't have a father," Indy shot back hotly. "I guess this explains why he never liked me."

"Henry loves you, Indy," Marcus replied calmly. "Your parents tried having children, and it was just not to be. So they adopted you. Why is that so bad?"

"I should have been told long before now," Indy answered, not knowing whether he was angry or hurt. "Who were my real parents?"

"The people that_ raised _you are your real parents," Marcus returned, getting irritated at his friend. "The orphanage where you were adopted said you were a foundling. Your mother was undoubtedly unmarried and poor. She probably thought she was doing the right thing by leaving you. I'm sorry you found out like this, but it doesn't change who you are now."

"I think it might, Marcus."

* * *

Late that night

"It sure gets cold here at night," Leia said as she rubbed her bare arms to try and warm her skin. "Do you think he'll let us in?"

Luke gazed over at the small, tidy house that Dr. Indiana Jones called home. "All he can do is call the authorities on us. Maybe then we'll get a bed and a meal."

The Princess sighed, marched up to the house and knocked on the door. Luke followed her up the sidewalk and tried to put on his most innocent, farmboy look. Maybe looking pitiful would have an effect, since telling the truth had failed so miserably.

The door opened and Dr. Jones stood in the doorway. He was no longer dressed in the dark brown suit, but instead had on a light tan shirt and brown loose-fitting slacks. It was the same clothing Leia had always seen him wearing in her dreams. "Why am I not surprised to see you here?" Indy said with a shake of his head.

"We don't have anywhere to go," Luke said from behind his sister. "And we don't have any credits."

"Credits?"

"Money," Leia amended, hoping that word made more sense.

"Ah, the space travelers don't have Earth money," Indy said, trying to keep from rolling his eyes. "Of course not." He stepped aside, and waved his hand to indicate they should enter. "Welcome to my humble little Earth abode, oh wise space travelers."

"It's good to see his sarcasm level has stayed the same," Leia remarked over her shoulder as she stepped into the living room.

"Thanks for letting us in," Luke added quickly, before Indy could change his mind about inviting them inside.

As they made their way into the small house, Leia noted the room was filled with more old books and artifacts, just as his office had been. She turned and looked up at the wary expression on his face. "Do you have anything to eat?" It had been a full day, and Leia was starving.

Indy grinned down at the short, spunky woman. She reminded him so much of Marion, it was uncanny. "You get right to the point, don't you?"

"I try."

"The kitchen is over here," he said as he led the way. "I'm not much of a cook, but I can make a mean peanut butter sandwich."

"Anything is fine, I'm sure," Luke nodded. The idea of food was sounding better and better. The pair sat at a small table and watched as Indy prepared "sandwiches" and poured some white liquid into glasses. Tentatively, they tasted the food and liquid, surprised at how good it tasted. They devoured the meal without talking, while Indy watched in amusement.

When they were finished he asked, "How did you know I was adopted? Until today, I didn't even know."

"I thought we explained that," Luke replied.

"Yes, I know. I'm from another time and place, and some strange thing threw me here on Earth after stealing my memories. Oh... and turned me back into a baby. Do you have _any_ idea what that sounds like?"

"I know it seems strange," Leia said, wiping her lips with a small napkin. "But it's true. And this 'strange thing' that put you here is dying. If we don't get back to the portal, Luke and I will be trapped here on this planet as well."

Indy shut his eyes and leaned back into his chair. "Why is this Han person so important to you?"

"Because I love him," Leia answered quickly, watching his reaction.

The sincerity of her words took Indy back. "So you want me to give up my memories and put Han's back? That doesn't seem quite fair."

Leia turned her face away, and blinked back tears. Indy was saying the same thing Luke had said earlier. She knew they both were right, but admitting it would mean losing Han forever. Leia didn't know if she could stand it, but it was becoming increasingly apparent that she would have to learn how to deal with that loss.

"I guess you're right," she said slowly. "It wouldn't be fair to you."

"Can you help us locate this mountain, the one with the portal?" Luke asked. "We need to get back, even if we aren't bringing you back with us."

Indiana sighed. Somehow, in this very short amount of time, he had come to like these two very strange people. And they obviously needed his help. The one thing Indy could never resist was a good adventure, especially if it involved helping a pretty lady. "I'll help you find your mountain."

* * *

The next morning.

"It's only two weeks until summer break, Marcus. You can take over my classes that long," Indy said stubbornly. "You owe me."

"I owe you?" Brody asked, astounded. "Because I told you the truth about being adopted? You wanted me to lie to you?"

"You_ have _been lying to me, for my entire life!"

"No, I haven't," he argued back. "How was it my place to tell you that you were adopted?"

"Marcus, please," Indy pleaded. "This is important."

Brody sighed and rolled his eyes. "It is always important with you, Indy."

* * *

Indiana walked into his house, and smiled at the two young people staring at the radio as jazz music wafted from the speakers. By their expressions, it appeared they had never seen anything quite like his Philco. Indy had to give them credit - they certainly knew how to play their parts. He threw several packages down on the sofa. "I bought some clothes for you. You might as well blend in with us Earthlings."

Leia sorted through the bags and pulled out several modest blouses and loose slacks. She handed Luke the packages meant for him then walked off to the bedroom to dress. Luke picked up some gray slacks and a white shirt. "Thanks," he said softly. "I know you still don't believe us, but I appreciate the fact you are willing to try and help."

"After you get dressed, we'll head to the library," Indy informed him. "You can look through photos of mountain ranges, and see if anything looks familiar."

"That sounds like a good idea," Luke agreed.

* * *

Five hours later, Leia had a headache. She slammed a book shut and plopped it on the table in annoyance. "Why don't you people have computers?"

"Computers?"

"All libraries should have computers," Leia snapped. "This world is so primitive, I don't know how anyone manages to stay alive."

"Well, pardon us Earthlings for living," Indy said with a smirk. It was getting rather amusing to argue with this woman, and Indy was finding it easy, and fun, to make her mad. "If we don't find something soon, the library is going to close. Besides, I need to get home and rub a couple of sticks together and get a fire going. We don't want to freeze tonight, do we?"

"I could make a suggestion what else you could do with those sticks," Leia muttered, glaring at Indiana.

Indy made a shocked expression. "Now, now! Are all females as unladylike as you... in this galaxy you're from?"

Luke made a strangled laugh. "Leia, do you always have to argue with him?"

"Apparently."

Indy picked up another large book and handed it to Leia. "Keep looking. This mountain is your ticket home, honey, not mine."

Leia snatched the book out of Jones's hand and opened the dusty volume. There, in front of her eyes, was a black and white photo of a curved mountain. "Luke," she whispered as she passed the book to him.

"This is it," Luke agreed. "Our mountain."

Indy got up and walked over to stand behind Luke. Looking over his shoulder, Indy frowned at the photograph. "This mountain is in the middle of the desert.... in Australia!"

"Is that a problem?" Luke asked as he turned and looked up at Indy.

"No, no problem," Indy grumbled with a dramatic sigh. "I don't have anything else to spend my entire life savings on, besides dragging two crazy people halfway across the Australian Outback. No, no problem at all."

* * *

That evening

"A week?!" Leia exclaimed in disbelief. "It's going to take an entire_ week _to make an interplanetary hop?"

Indy stopped his packing to look over at the woman. "The train trip to Los Angeles will take about four days, and the plane trip to Australia will take two. The plane needs to stop and refuel in Hawaii and the Marshall Islands. So yes, to answer your question, it will take about a week to get to Australia. And then we will need to spend several days, at least, traveling the Outback to this mountain of yours."

"Leia, I don't think there is anything we can do about it," Luke tried to calm his sister. She had been upset ever since coming to the same conclusion Luke had - they could not expect Indiana Jones to give up his life for Han Solo. While she knew this was not Indy's fault, she nevertheless lashed out at him as if somehow he were to blame for breaking her heart.

Indy looked over at Luke, grateful for the support. Like Luke, he understood where Leia's anger was coming from. She must have loved this Han Solo very deeply, and the fact Indy looked just like him was hurting her emotionally. Indy still did not believe these two people were from a different galaxy, but they obviously were ... odd. And that was enough to get Indy's interest peaked. Besides, this mountain may very well have some sort of archeological history, and if it did, the trip would be worth it. Indy picked up his Webley and checked the chambers before putting it in the holster.

"Nothing like a good blaster at your side?" Luke questioned, as he nodded at the old weapon.

"Blaster?"

"That's what we call sidearms in our galaxy - blasters."

"Oh. Yeah. Well, I wouldn't be alive today if I didn't have this gun," Indy remarked. "And this." He picked up a coiled bull whip and grinned at Luke.

"A whip?" Luke asked, incredulously.

Indy gave a lop-sided grin that made Leia's heart ache. "It comes in handy sometimes, trust me."

"Do you know how to use it?" Leia questioned.

Indy looked around the room, then walked halfway across the room, placing a rolled up newspaper in a jar. He walked back to his suitcase, and casually picked up the whip handle. Faster than Leia's eyes could follow, the whip lashed out and sliced the newspaper cleanly in half, leaving the jar still sitting. "Yes, I know how to use it," he answered as he put the whip back in the suitcase.

* * *

Los Angeles, four days later.

The three weary travelers stood in the airport terminal, watching as the plane taxied in. The train trip had been long and hot, especially for two people who were not accustomed to unregulated air temperatures. Even though Indy had assured them that the American southwest got much hotter later in the year, it had been plenty warm to Leia. _And now we are going to die in that contraption,_ Leia thought with dread as she watched the noisy propeller-driven machine Indiana called an 'airplane' pull up.

They walked out onto the runway and climbed the metal stairs. Inside the airplane were rows of seats, much like the inside of the train. A perky woman directed Leia and the men to their row, and Leia quickly sat down next to a tiny window. "Do these things actually stay in the air?" she asked as Luke and Indy took their seats next to her.

"Most of the time," Indy replied calmly.

Leia was beginning to hate this miserable planet.

* * *

Australia

Two days later.

The airplane had actually managed to stay in the air. Luke admired the beauty of the tropical islands where they had stopped to refuel. It amazed him that more people did not choose to live on those islands, but when he considered the difficulties of actually getting there, he understood. Now, they had finally reached the continent called Australia, and according to Indy, the trip through the Outback was not going to be easy. Luke had no idea what an understatement that was going to turn out to be.

* * *

Melbourne, Australia

Indiana Jones looked up from his breakfast menu as Luke and Leia came into the dining area of the hotel. "About time you two got out of bed. We have a train to catch."

Leia groaned and sat down. "Another train?"

"This mountain of yours is about six hundred or so miles northwest of Adelaide, in the middle of nowhere. Once the train gets us to Adelaide, we are going to take another train to a town called Coober Pedy. Once we get to that lovely destination, we are going to need to find other transportation. Hopefully someone will lease us an automobile. I'm sure the roads, if they even exist, are going to be rough. You are going to be remembering trains with fondness once we head into the Outback, all alone."

"How long is it going to take us to get to this, um, Coober Pedy?" Luke asked as he looked over the strange menu.

"Three or four days, depending on the train schedules," Indy replied, unconcerned.

The waitress came over and took their orders. The three travelers didn't notice the two men in the corner, staring at them.

* * *

Adelaide

After the clerk behind the counter handed Dr. Jones his three train tickets, Indiana found a bedraggled Luke and Leia, sitting in the hot train station. He sat down next to them and handed them their boarding passes. "The Ghan leaves in three hours, so if you want to look around Adelaide, here's your chance."

"The Ghan?" Luke questioned.

"That's the name of this train that runs between Adelaide and Alice Springs," Indy informed him.

"How cute," Leia said with her eyes shut. "They named the train."

"Us Earthlings like to name things, what can I say?"

"Would you quit it with the Earthlings business?" Leia snapped.

"Why? All of a sudden, you're _not _from another galaxy?"

"No, we are from another galaxy," Leia opened her eyes, and looked at Indy. "And so are you, Dr. Jones."

Indy grinned widely at her. "Some days, I wish I were."

Leia glared at him, and the remainder of the wait was in silence. When they boarded the train to Coober Pedy, the same two men followed them onto the train.

* * *

When Luke stepped off the railway platform in the tiny desert town of Coober Pedy, he felt right at home. Sure, the landscape was redder than Tatooine, but the vast dry desert reminded him of home. The small town was a mining settlement. Apparently, according to Indy, the people of this planet valued rocks called opals that were dug out of this dry ground.

"We need to find a hotel for the night," Indy informed them as he picked up his small suitcase. "It's too late to find an automobile right now, and I need sleep."

"I think we all need a good night's sleep," Luke agreed. "This type of travel is very tiring."

The three checked into two separate rooms. Dr. Jones had complained his funds were running low, so Luke would share a room with Indy, while Leia had her own room. Indy collapsed, face down, on one of the small beds as soon as he entered the room. "I could sleep for a week," he mumbled into his pillow.

Luke grinned as he headed for the refresher.

* * *

Leia had been looking out of her hotel window at the nothingness that was Coober Pedy when a knock on her door made her jump slightly. "Luke? I'm coming."

Opening the door, she started to ask, "Are you already tired of his comp..." The two men standing at the door smiled at the Princess, and she stopped talking.

"G'day missy." The taller one nodded.

"Can I help you?" Leia asked warily.

"We certainly think so," the smaller, stronger looking one replied as he grabbed Leia by the arm.

"Hey, let me go," Leia protested, as she tried to wrench her arm free.

"Yer coming with us, for a little ride," the taller man laughed. He pulled out a white cloth, and stepped behind Leia, grabbing her around the waist. A second later, he pushed the rag into her face. The cloth reeked of chemicals, and immediately Leia felt lightheaded. Struggling, she bit down as hard as she could. "Ow, the wench bit me!"

"Luke!" she screamed before the rag was put back over her mouth. Leia brought her knee up into the short man's groin and he gave a grunt and released her. By this time, the room was spinning. She tried to pull out of the taller man's grasp, but felt her knees give out. A second later, blackness overtook her.

* * *

_"Luke!"_ The young Jedi had been soaking in a tub, with his eyes shut, when Leia's scream reached his ears and her fear reached his Force-sense. Grabbing a towel, he jumped out of the water and ran into the room. Indy was already standing, his back pressed against the wall next to the door, holding his gun. Indy eased himself slowly into the hallway, then jumped back as a loud bang reverberated through the building.

"They've got Leia," Indy told Luke. "I can't shoot back, or I might hit her."

Luke was quickly pulling on his clothes. ""Why are they kidnapping her?" he questioned the older man.

Indy raised his eyebrows. "How would_ I _know? What do _you_ have that they want?"

Instantly, Luke understood the implied meaning. Dr. Jones was suspicious that they had lured him out here, and had enemies that were chasing them. "They can't be after us, Indy," Luke replied as he tucked his lightsaber into his belt. "But there must be some reason they took Leia."

Indy put his hat and jacket on, carefully looking outside of the door, "It's clear... come on."

The two men ran down the stairs and out the front door of the lobby. "I don't see anything," Indy remarked as he looked up and down the street.

"They're around this corner," Luke said as he ran off to the right. A second later, a dusty black sedan skidded around the corner, firing shots randomly out of the window. Indy tackled Luke as the bullets flew harmlessly over their heads.

"Do you have a death wish?" Indy hissed in Luke's ear, as the car faded into the twilight.

"I could have stopped them!"

"With what? That fancy sword of yours?"

"The Force," Luke groused as he got up and brushed the dust from his shirt.

Indy struggled to his feet. "Force? What does that mean? You were going to reach out and stop the vehicle with your bare hands?"

Luke threw his hands up in frustration. "No, the Force is something I can control. It's a power."

Indiana stared in disbelief at the young man for a moment. "Which asylum did you and the girl escape from?"

"Listen," Luke yelled, angry and upset. "Just because you don't understand something, or can't explain it, doesn't mean it isn't real!"

"For your information, I've seen a lot of things I can't explain," Indy shot back hotly. "But nothing surpasses the load of elephant dung you've been dishing out to me since you walked into my classroom!"

Luke glared at the man for a second before turning and walking off a few steps. He knew it wasn't Indy he was truly angry at - it was the men who kidnapped Leia. He could sense Dr. Jones standing behind him, waiting. Luke turned back to face him. "We can't wait until morning. We need to go after the kidnappers right away."

"I agree," Indy replied calmly. "Let's find a local saloon. It'll be the best place to find information."

* * *

Nearly two hours later, Luke and Indy were heading off into the night in a rented old Ford. The locals had claimed ignorance when it came to the men who kidnapped Leia, but more than a few were willing to rent, for an exorbitant price, an automobile to the strangers. It had cost Indy more than half his remaining cash, and he was getting worried about his ability to fund a return trip to the States. Fortunately, there was always Brody - provided he wasn't too annoyed at Indy to wire him more money.

"I hope they didn't double back on us," Indy said over the loud engine.

"They didn't," Luke answered confidently. "We are heading in the right direction."

"This Force-thing is telling you this?"

"Yes."

Indiana just shook his head and continued driving.

* * *

When Leia woke up, her head felt like it was about to pound out of its skull. The last time she had such a headache was after her torture on the Death Star, a memory she didn't care to dwell on very long. She struggled to move her arms, then realized she had been tied up, and placed in a small, dark area. And wherever she was, it was noisy, smelly and very bumpy. It took her a few seconds to figure out she was in a moving automobile, and from the confines, it must be what Indy referred to as the trunk. Although Leia was not well-trained in using the Force, she used her fundamental skills to reach out for her brother. _"Luke? Can you hear me?"_

_"I'm coming, sister," _Luke's reassuring reply reached her thoughts. _"Are you hurt?"_

_"No, but I'm not having fun. Hurry."_

Leia felt the automobile slow and turn. The road got even more rough as they crept along. _I'm going to have more than a few bruises tomorrow, _Leia grimaced to herself.

She felt the vehicle stop and several long minutes later, the trunk opened. Leia found herself staring into a bright beam of light.

"Get out real slowly, missy," one of the men ordered. "Try anything cute again, and you'll be the one bleedin' this time."

Leia struggled to get out of the small confines - with her hands tied behind her, it wasn't easy. The men roughly grabbed her arms and pulled her into a surprisingly large house. The inside of the home was even more surprising. It was obviously the home of a wealthy person, with gleaming hardwood floors, large rooms, and beautiful furniture. The men dragged her through a doorway, and pushed her down into a chair, then tied her securely to the back and legs of the chair. The room was filled with books and sculptures, and a portly man sat behind a desk in front of Leia, watching as the two worked at tying the ropes. "That will be all, Peter," the older man said, dismissing his employees when it was apparent they were done.

"You sure, boss?" the tall one asked. "She's a real handful."

"Don't you ever, ever, question me, Johnson," the man behind the desk growled in a low, deadly tone. "Now, get out of my sight."

"Yes, boss." The two men quickly hurried out of the room, leaving Leia sitting in front of the desk.

"Why did you kidnap me?"

The man gave a laugh. "A better question might be, why are you traveling with Dr. Jones?"

The question caught Leia off guard. She knew she couldn't answer the man truthfully, and racked her brain to come up with a plausible lie. "We're students of his... and, um, he asked us to help him with, ah, finding some old thing. You know, some.. archeology thing."

"Really? How interesting," the man answered her with a smirk. "I can't recall Dr. Jones ever taking students with him on a search."

"So you know Dr. Jones?"

"By reputation only. I have studied his career with great interest," he replied. "Dr. Jones is known for being, shall we say, difficult? Sometimes holding a little insurance helps make a man more cooperative."

Leia glared at the round-faced man. "What do you need his cooperation for?" _I should have known Han's new life would involve more than being a teacher! _

"I need him to retrieve an artifact for me," he replied easily as he rolled out from behind the desk in a chair that had wheels on each side. "I would do it myself, but I'm afraid I'm no longer half the man I used to be."

* * *

Indiana squinted through the gloomy night at the large house in the distance. It had surprised him to see that anyone would build an expensive home in the middle of nowhere. "I guess people will live anywhere," Indy mumbled under his breath.

"What?"

"Nothing," Jones replied. "You're sure Leia is in there?"

"Positive," Luke said with a nod. "Her Force-sense is coming through, loud and clear."

Indy turned his head to Skywalker. "Right. Force-sense." He turned his face away before he rolled his eyes, and then said, "We'd better leave the vehicle here. If we drive any closer, we might as well announce our presence with a marching band."

"A what?"

"Nothing. Come on," Indy said as he climbed out of the car and headed off toward the house. Luke climbed out and followed.

* * *

The ropes around Leia's wrists were getting sticky with blood as she worked to free herself. The men had done a good job tying her up. So far, her efforts were not bringing much success.

"You're wasting your energy, my dear," her captor told her, looking up from a book he was reading.

"When my brother gets here, you are going to regret ever being born," Leia snapped at him.

"I already do regret my parents' lack of restraint." He sighed. "So that young man is your brother?"

The Princess wondered if she made a mistake telling him that, but it was too late now. "Yes, he's my brother. And he gets very upset when people try to hurt me."

The man laughed. "I'll take your warning into consideration."

* * *

"Australia is crawling with poisonous snakes," Indy whispered to Luke as they made their way to the house on foot.

"I know what snakes are," Luke said, relieved that he finally understood something Indy was talking about. "I wouldn't worry about snakes. They are more afraid of us than we are of them."

"Want to bet on that?"

Luke grinned in the darkness. Confessing a fear was not something Han would have been inclined to do, and sometimes Luke forgot that he wasn't dealing with his old friend.

Approaching the home, the men crept up to a well-lit window. Luke carefully peered in, before dropping back down next to Jones. "She's in there, tied up. Some old guy is in there with her."

"Did you see any weapons?" Indy asked.

"No, but we have 'em, mates," a voice said from the darkness.

Luke could have kicked himself. He had been concentrating so hard on Leia, that he had missed the presence of the two men, standing near them and pointing guns in their direction. _Ben, you would be so disappointed in me,_ Luke shook his head in self-disgust.

"So this Force-thing doesn't work all the time?" Indy questioned with a smirk. Luke felt like punching him.

The guards quickly confiscated Indy's gun, and Luke's lightsaber. Although they had no idea what the metal tube was, the fact that it looked like something that could be used to hit someone over the head made the men decided to act on the side of caution. They prodded the captives forward and then into the library.

"Luke!" the Princess exclaimed in shock. She had expected her brother to be able to track her, but she was genuinely surprised that he had not been able to get into the house unobserved.

"Are you all right, Leia?"

"I'm fine, but I am sure glad to see you," she replied sincerely.

"Why don't you gentlemen have a seat," their host said, as he pointed to a sofa. "I insist." The two men holding the weapons smiled and looked eager for any excuse to use them.

Indy shrugged and sat down, while Luke reluctantly sat down next to him. "Why don't you untie the girl," Indy said, nodding toward Leia. "It looks like her wrists are raw from the ropes."

"That is her own fault, Dr. Jones," the man answered.

"You have me at a disadvantage," Indy said. "Have we met?"

"Unfortunately, no," the man replied. "Let me introduce myself. My name is Sir Roland Walsh, and I have been an admirer of yours for many years, Dr. Jones."

"I would hate to see how you treat people you _don't_ admire."

Mr. Walsh laughed. "Ah, Dr. Jones, such a sense of humor you Americans have. As you can see," he went on proudly, "I am somewhat of an amateur archeologist myself." He waved his hand at the various pieces of pottery in the room.

"Just what the archeology profession needs - more amateurs," Indy said with a snort.

"Don't make him mad, Jones," Leia snapped.

"Why did you kidnap Leia?" Luke asked. "If you wanted to talk to Dr. Jones, you could have just asked your men to invite us."

"I couldn't take a chance he might turn down my invitation, young man," Walsh returned quickly. "After all, I require his considerable talents, and I'm not the kind of man that takes 'no' for an answer."

Luke stared for a moment at the guard who was holding the lightsaber loosely in his hand. Throwing himself sideways off the sofa, the Jedi called his lightsaber from the fingers of the startled guard and into his own hand. Quickly, Luke rolled into a standing position in front of Leia, igniting the blade, and raising his left hand between himself and the men holding the ancient weapons.

It took half a second for Indy to realize what the young man had done, then he reacted. Indiana dove the opposite direction, and in one fluid motion pulled his whip off his belt. The men holding the guns tried to track the fast moving targets, but they were far too slow. The whip coiled around the wrist of the taller man who had the misfortune to be standing closest to Jones - the gun flew out of his hand and skidded across the room.

The burly short man stared at Luke and the humming lightsaber, confused by the glowing green blade and uncertain what to do. Walsh had been very specific in his instructions not to harm Professor Jones or the girl. The orders regarding the young man were less clear. The man's momentary indecision was all the time Luke needed. Using the Force, the young Jedi ripped the gun from the man's hand and it went sailing into his free hand.

Indy quickly tackled his opponent, who was holding his wrist in pain from the whip lash, and with a fast, hard punch rendered the kidnapper unconscious. He pulled his own weapon from the man's belt, then turned to face Walsh, who was trying to comprehend what had just happened in the last seconds. "Next time you send out party invitations, try to be a little more friendly," Indy said with a growl.

Luke quickly cut the ropes that held Leia. She stood up rubbing her sore wrists, glaring at Walsh.

Walsh held up his hands. "Dr. Jones, you misunderstand me. I was only asking for your kind assistance."

"Yeah, right," Leia said with a snort. She turned to her brother. "Can I shoot him with that thing?" Leia asked, pointing to the gun Luke was holding.

"I don't think that would be a good idea," Luke replied. "Revenge is of the dark side."

"I prefer the old saying, 'revenge is a dish best served cold'," Indy said as he walked up to Roland Walsh and shoved the barrel of the Webley under the man's nose. The fear that flashed through the man's eyes gave Indy a certain satisfaction. "You'd better give me a good explanation, and make it fast. If you really know so much about me, you know I don't bluff."

"Of course you don't bluff, Dr. Jones," the man sputtered. "Please, if you'll allow me to go to my desk, I'll show you what I need your help finding."

"Go real slow, and if you try anything funny...."

Walsh rolled slowly over to his desk, unlocking the bottom drawer. Indy stood next to him, watching his every move. The man carefully removed five large pieces of what appeared to be opal. One side of each of the pieces was very smooth, the other sides were ragged. "This is what I wanted you to see, Dr. Jones."

"Pieces of opal. Big deal," Indy shook his head. "I'm less than impressed."

"Wait," Walsh said. He proceeded to fit the five pieces together, until they formed a pyramid about eight inches high, except the top piece of the pyramid was missing. "Do you know what this is, Dr. Jones?" the man whispered in awe when he was done assembling the object.

"A broken souvenir from a confused opal carver?" Indy laughed. "He should have at least carved a kangaroo, and not an Egyptian pyramid."

Walsh glared at Dr. Jones. "You are mocking me. My father found these pieces nearly fifty years ago, buried deep in his opal mine. I've spent my life researching this pyramid. Do you know what I've found?"

"No idea."

"This pyramid was worshipped by the ancient Australians for thousands of years," Walsh said as his voice lowered in awe. "The complete pyramid is supposed to hold the power of healing. And I want the last piece - more than anything else in the world, I want that last piece."

"You want to find this piece so you can walk again, Mr. Walsh?" Leia deduced, as she stared at the iridescent pyramid. For some reason she could not put her finger on, it looked familiar to her. "What happened to your legs?"

"Polio, my dear," Walsh answered sadly. "I've been in this blasted chair since I was eleven years old."

"I think you're grasping at straws, Walsh," Indy said bluntly, then asked, "How did you know I was in Australia?"

"I am a very wealthy man, and not much escapes my attention. I have informants in Melbourne that kindly let me know if anyone of interest arrives. You can't deny you aren't intrigued with this piece, Dr. Jones."

"And what if I am?" Indy replied with a shrug. "How am I supposed to know where to look for this missing piece, if you've spent fifty years researching and haven't found it?"

"Did I say I didn't know where it was, Dr. Jones?"

Luke turned off his lightsaber and walked up to the desk to put his hand on the fractured pyramid. "This object is radiating in the Force, Leia," he told his sister. "But Walsh is right - it needs the final piece."

"We don't have time to go running off looking for this, Luke," Leia reminded him.

"The Force is telling me we should help find it," Luke insisted.

Dr. Jones sighed. "I'm not saying I'm going to try and find this piece for you, Walsh, but where exactly do you think the missing piece is located?"

The man smiled, and looked over at his employees. The man who Indy had punched was finally getting to his feet, rubbing his chin and glaring at Jones. The burly man that had been pointing his gun at Luke was still staring in shock at the Jedi, trying to understand how the kid had taken his weapon. "Would you be so kind as to take your leave now, gentlemen? Things seem to be back under control." The two hurried from the room without looking back. Then Walsh returned his attention to Jones. "Ayers Rock."

"Ayers Rock is a big thing," Indy said, sighing in annoyance. "Any particular direction - north, south, east..."

"Under."

Indy gave him a disgusted look, then glanced back at Luke and Leia. "All right, I've heard enough. Let's get going."

"Dr. Jones, please," Walsh said, imploringly. "Hear me out."

"I am not digging under a mountain to look for a two inch piece of opal. My lifespan isn't long enough."

"You don't have to dig, Dr. Jones," Walsh replied hurriedly. "You only have to walk to the top, and find the entrance into the mountain."

"An entrance?"

"Yes," he answered, suddenly eager. "According to legends, Ayers Rock is filled with secret passages, and the correct passage will take you into the heart of the rock. There, the last piece of the pyramid waits - protected and safe."

"How would we know which passageway to take?" Leia asked curiously.

"Each piece of this pyramid act like keys, and each key will fit into a space," Walsh instructed them. "As long as you put the right key into each slot, the passageways will open safely and lead you to the last piece."

"What happens if we put the wrong piece into a slot?" Luke questioned.

"I wouldn't recommend doing that," Walsh replied with a grin. "The corridors are supposedly well protected from invaders."

Indy groaned. "Booby-traps."

"Will you do it?" Walsh asked, leaning forward.

Indy looked over at Luke and Leia. "Well?"

"I think we should try," Luke replied.

Both men turned to look at Leia. "I appear to be outvoted," she grumbled, but deep in her heart she felt relieved. The opportunity of spending a little more time with the man she still thought of as Han outweighed her concerns about finding the portal with enough time for the return trip home.


	2. Chapter 2

By the end of the next day, Indy was grateful that Roland Walsh had insisted they use one of his Jeeps. He didn't believe the old Ford would have made it across the rough terrain without serious problems. The sun was unrelenting, with no shade anywhere to be found. The heat shimmered in waves off the desert floor. Although Leia was not about to admit it, Dr. Jones had been right - she wished she were back on the train.

"There it is," Indy pointed off into the distance at a small mound on the horizon, surrounded by flatness.

"It sure doesn't look like much," Luke remarked, squinting into the brightness.

"I know, but tourists love it," Indy said with a grin.

The red rock gradually rose up as they got closer, and the evening shadows grew longer. Eventually, its grandeur filled the windshield, and the siblings had to admit that it was mesmerizing to watch as the colors shifted and changed. Up close, the rock was an impressive and thrilling sight.

"We'll camp here, near the base, and get an early start climbing tomorrow," Indy instructed as he pulled the Jeep over. The professor hopped out of the vehicle, and hauled a tent out of the back.

Luke helped Indy pitch the tent, then hauled out dry army rations for dinner. As the darkness settled over the desert, the small campfire crackled. Indy stretched out his legs and yawned. "I'm going to sleep. We have a very hard day ahead of us, so you two should think about turning in, too."

"There's only one tent," Leia said flatly. "Where am I supposed to sleep?"

Indy stood up, looking down at her in amusement. "It's a big tent."

"Luke is sleeping in the middle," she shot back, embarrassed.

"Too bad," Indy replied with a smirk as he headed into the tent.

"It's amazing how he turned out so similar in both lives," Luke said softly, after Indy had disappeared inside the tent. When his sister didn't answer, he looked over at her.

Leia turned her face away, so her brother couldn't see the tears shining in her eyes. "I still love him, Luke," she whispered hoarsely.

Luke moved over closer, and put his arm around her shoulders. "I know."

* * *

The hike to the top of the rock was strenuous and in places, very steep. Although it was only about a mile in length, it took nearly three hours to reach the top. The rock reminded Indy of a loaf of bread, and the view from the top was spectacular.

"It sure doesn't look like there is any place for an entrance," Luke remarked as he peered around the fairly flat top. They strolled around in separate directions, looking down at the uneven surface.

After a half an hour, Indy shook his head and walked over to Luke. "I think Walsh is delusional. There isn't any opening up here."

"You think we're delusional, too," Luke told him. "He did say one of the opal pieces would be needed to open the entrance."

Indy put his hands on his hips and looked at the craggy nooks that lined the rock. "Trying to fit a single piece of opal in all these little crannies would take months. And don't forget - it has to be the right piece of opal, or the angry gods will send down their wrath upon us," he added with a smirk.

Leia trudged over to where the men stood. "Now what?" she asked.

"I need to meditate," Luke decided.

"Ah, meditate." Indy sighed. "So your Force-thing can tell you what to do?"

"Yes, and don't make fun of my Force-thing, or I may send my angry gods' wrath down on you," Luke laughed, refusing to get mad. He headed off, alone, to the north side of the rock and sat down, cross-legged.

Indy and Leia went to the opposite side, then sat down next to each other to rest. "Tell me about this Han Solo," Indy said after a long silence.

The Princess looked surprised for a second, then replied softly, "He was a lot like you, Indiana Jones."

"Is that a good thing, or a bad thing?"

"I fell in love with him," she answered as she looked up into his hazel eyes. "What do you think?"

Impulsively, Indy bent down and kissed her. He felt her stiffen for a moment, then she threw her arms around him, returning his kiss with an intense fervor. An image flashed through Indy's mind - he was sitting on a forest floor, kissing this same woman. Startled, he drew back. The look of disappointment in Leia's eyes made him feel guilty. "I'm sorry," he stammered. "I shouldn't have done that."

"It's okay," she whispered, averting her eyes. After a while, she spoke again. "Han was a pilot, one of the best in the galaxy. He was soft-hearted, although he wouldn't admit that for all the credits in the universe. He had a huge ego, and a smart mouth. Han knew exactly what to say or do to make me angry. And once he called you a friend, he would gladly lay down his life for you."

"So," Indy mused with a grin, "Do you think I have a huge ego?"

Leia opened her mouth to reply, but Luke's call interrupted her answer. "Leia! Indy! I know where to put the opal!"

* * *

Luke led them to the very center of the mound. "Here," Luke pointed down.

"Where do we put the opal?" Indy asked as he looked at the surface. It didn't look any different than any other part of the mountain top.

The Jedi bent down and stared intensely at the crevasses. Finally he pointed to a small hole. "Right there."

Indy fished around in the leather case at his waist, pulled out the pieces of opal, carefully unwrapping them. "Which one?"

Luke carefully picked up each piece, a look of concentration of his face. "This is the one."

Indy took the opal piece and placed it in the hole. It was an exact fit. The mountain began shaking beneath their feet - the three quickly backed up. Indy couldn't believe his eyes when several rocks began shifting, exposing a deep, dark hole.

"I guess Walsh was right after all," Indy said as he peered down into the dark hole. It actually did appear to be a type of corridor, with the entryway sloping down into the gloom. "We're going to need torches to light the way... it's pretty dark down there."

"I think this will work better than a torch," Luke said as he ignited his lightsaber. "And it doesn't use up oxygen."

"All right," Indy agreed and put back the remaining opals in the sack. "I'll go down first."

"No." Luke shook his head negatively. "I'll go first, and light the way." Luke removed the opal that had been used to open the gateway, and handed it back to Indy. Then he carefully climbed down into the chamber, holding the lightsaber in front of his body. Indy followed, helping Leia retain her footing in the rubble that made up the floor of the entrance.

The rock shuddered, and the opening shut behind them as they rounded a corner and went deeper down into the mountain. "I hope it's just as cooperative letting us out as it was letting us in," Indy mumbled to himself.

"There's some type of writing on these walls," Leia remarked as she put her face closer to the side.

Luke stopped, and held his saber closer to the edge as Indy peered at the carvings. "I've studies dozens of types of hieroglyphics, but I've never seen anything resembling this," Jones said quietly as he ran his hand over the strange markings.

"It's Shyriiwook writing," Leia whispered in awe. She turned to Luke. "How is that possible?"

"I'm not sure, but don't forget,_ we're _here," Luke answered his sister.

"What kind of language is Shyriiwook?" Indy questioned.

"The Wookiee language, from the galaxy where we came from," Leia replied. "It still doesn't make sense - this writing looks like it has been on these walls for ages."

"Am I allowed to ask what a Wookiee is?"

Leia and Luke smiled at each other. "A Wookiee is a non-human sentient being from our galaxy. They are very strong, usually tall, and covered with hair," Luke described as best he could. "And most of the Wookiees in our galaxy are very brave and loyal."

"Also," Leia added, "Han Solo's co-pilot is a Wookiee, by the name of Chewbacca."

"Oh," Indy said slowly, for lack of a better response. "Do you know how to read this?"

"It's impossible for humans to speak Shyriiwook, and due to vocal limitations, Wookiees can't speak Basic, but I can read a little Shyriiwook," Leia told him. She studied the writing for a few moments.

"I suppose it's a warning about all ye who enter are doomed and all that," Indy said lightly.

She turned to him, her expression serious. "It's a plea for help."

"What kind of help, Leia?" Luke asked, frowning in concern.

"I'm not that good at reading Shyriiwook, but I think it's asking for Nature to protect their souls in this strange land," she replied. "The rest I can't make out."

They continued down into the cavern, the air was now becoming chilled and Leia shivered. Indy removed his jacket and draped it over her shoulders. "Thank you," she said softly.

"Not a problem," Indy responded, keeping his voice light. In fact, she was beginning to affect him deeply, and Indy was becoming worried about his future.

They came to a fork in the tunnel. Indy and Leia both stopped and looked at Luke. "Which way?" Leia questioned her brother.

Luke shut his eyes, then said, "To the left." They headed left.

_Why am I trusting this kid to guide me?_ Indy thought to himself. Yet he did, and that puzzled him even more. As the days had passed, it had felt more and more natural for Indy to be with these two very strange people. He had tried to dismiss the feeling, but over time the feeling was growing more intense. When they eventually went their separate ways, Indy knew he would feel like a part of himself would be forever lost.

The trio came to a stop in front of a solid wall of rock. "I think we need another key," Indiana remarked as he opened his sack.

Luke picked out another piece of opal and located the proper hole. The rock parted.

"Two down, three to go," Indy said with a grin as he removed the opal and they continued on.

* * *

Again, they came to what appeared to be a dead-end. The wall held some more Shyriiwook carvings.

"Another plea for help?" Luke questioned Leia.

Frowning, she studied the writing for a minute. "No. This one is a warning, I think. Something about pure hearts and a warning about temptation."

"If this requires a pure heart, I'm in trouble," Indy mumbled as he handed Luke some opal.

Carefully, Luke chose another piece of opal and again the wall parted. This time, however, the tunnel beyond the opening was only about three feet high.

"Now what? We have to crawl?" Leia grumbled as she bent over and looked into the gloom.

Indy stared down at Leia. "At least you have the advantage of being short."

"And you have the advantage of having a hard head," she shot back.

"Stop it, you two. It doesn't look that bad." Luke got down on his knees while awkwardly holding his lightsaber, and started crawling down the shaft. Leia followed, then Indy entered last.

They crawled for nearly a half an hour before Indy complained. "My knees are killing me. And my back isn't singing any praises, either. I wonder how much longer until this tunnel ends."

"I thought archeologists spent lots of time on their knees," Leia said over her shoulder.

"We do," he agreed. "And I have to admit, the view usually isn't quite this enjoyable. I guess there's something to be said for not being the lead dog."

Leia was glad Indy couldn't see her blush at his comment. She wanted desperately to think of some clever retort, but instead called up to Luke. "Do you see any end to this tunnel yet?"

Luke didn't hear his sister's question. The tunnel had opened up and Luke quickly stood up, staring around in the dark room.

Shocked, Luke turned slightly and realized he was no longer in the caverns, but in a throne room. The Emperor's Throne Room.

Luke turned around to where the tunnel exit had been, but it was no longer there. "I have been waiting for you," a familiar voice said from the darkened throne. Slowly the chair turned from the view of the stars.

"Palpatine?" Luke whispered.

The robed figure stood up and made his way down the steps until he stood before the young Jedi. "No, Luke, it's not Palpatine," the male voice replied as he lowered his cowl. "It's Obi-Wan."

* * *

"Luke? Where are you?" Leia questioned in concern. She had seen her brother step out of the tunnel, and had quickly followed. Only Luke was not in the dark cave. "Indy? Are you coming?" No response. "Luke, turn on your lightsaber... this isn't funny."

The room slowly began glowing and brightening. At first, Leia had no idea where she was - then, to her horror, she recognized exactly where she was. The control room of the Death Star. As she looked out the viewport she saw Alderaan, still whole and alive.

* * *

"Finally! I thought this blasted tunnel was never going to end," Indiana groused as he climbed out into darkness. "Luke? Leia? Are you there? Hello?"

"Hello, Indiana Jones. It's about time you showed up."

Indy blinked as the room suddenly lit up. He was back at home, in his bedroom, and a dark-haired woman in a negligee stood in front of him. "Marion?" he gasped in surprise. "How did you get here?"

* * *

"Ben? How.... what are you doing here?"

"Don't be surprised, Luke. This is your destiny - to rule the galaxy. I am merely here to provide you with assistance along the way to power and glory."

"But... I don't want power and glory," Luke argued. "That isn't the way of the Jedi. Why are you telling me these things?"

"Of course you want power, Luke. Everyone wants power. Look inside your heart. Feel the truth. You are more powerful than Palpatine and Vader combined. The galaxy is yours for the taking. You deserve this... everyone owes you their lives already. It's time to make them pay the price for your sacrifices."

Luke shut his eyes, trying to block out Obi-Wan's words, and the feelings that swept over his mind and soul. "No... no... "

"Feel the power, Luke," Obi-Wan intoned. "Feel the power of the dark side."

* * *

"This isn't possible," Leia whispered as she stared at the beautiful planet of Alderaan.

"Of course it is possible, my daughter."

The Princess spun around and faced her father. Bail Organa stood before her, dressed in black from head to toe, a billowing cloak waving from his shoulders. "Father! What are you doing here? Why are you dressed like.... him?"

"Am I not your father, Leia?" Bail asked quietly.

"Of course you're my father." Leia wanted to weep and throw herself into his arms, but something held her back.

"Then why did you kill me?"

"I... I... didn't have a choice."

Bail lifted his hand, showing Leia a black helmet. The helmet of Darth Vader. He placed it over his head, and the filtered breathing of Darth Vader started. "You always have a choice, daughter. Tell me the location of the Rebel base, and Alderaan will survive."

* * *

Marion walked up to Indy and put her hand on his chest. "Why did you leave me, Indiana? I loved you."

"It had to end, Marion. It was wrong. I wish I could undo the past, but I can't."

"You could have stood up to my father, Indy. I wanted to go with you, not him."

"I'm sorry, Marion. I'm sorry I hurt you, and I'm sorry I hurt your father."

"Come with me now, Indy," Marion said in a sultry voice. She took his hand and tugged him toward the bed. "It doesn't have to end. We can be together, for now and for eternity."

Indy stopped walking and stood still, torn by indecision. He knew part of him still wanted her... but something about this didn't feel right.

* * *

"No!" Luke yelled as he stepped back from Obi-Wan. "This isn't what you taught me! I know this isn't you at all. I'm not in the Throne Room, am I?"

Obi-Wan's face altered and changed. Suddenly, Luke was staring at Palpatine. "Strong is the dark side! Feel the power!" the Emperor hissed.

Luke shook his head. "You're dead. I am not afraid of you anymore."

* * *

"I won't tell you the Rebels' location," Leia said, her voice trembling. "I didn't tell you the location the first time, and it won't happen this time, either."

"You are willing to kill me, daughter?" Vader asked.

Finding strength, Leia turned to the Dark Lord. "This isn't about betraying the Rebellion, this is about betraying myself. I don't know who you are - but you're not my father. The Death Star was destroyed, and you can't hurt me again. I won't let you."

* * *

Professor Jones pulled his hand out of Marion's grip. "You aren't really here."

"What are you talking about, Indy?" Marion purred as she tried to put her arms around his neck. Indy stepped backwards, avoiding her grasp. "Why are you acting so hard to get? This isn't like you."

"And this isn't you, either. Who, or what, are you?" Indy demanded.

"I'm your best dream, Indy. Or your worst nightmare." Marion's dark hair suddenly changed and became writhing snakes. She moved toward him, her face no longer seductive, but as deadly as Medusa.

"Stop!" Indy demanded, holding up both hands. "You are not real. Just... Stop!"

* * *

Luke blinked as the throne room vanished and was replaced by a dark, stone corridor. The only light came from his humming lightsaber. Turning, he saw Leia standing near him, her face buried in her hands. A few feet away stood Indiana, holding his hands out in front of him, a look of horror and disgust plastered across his face.

"Leia?" Luke called out gently.

His sister looked up, her expression changing from sadness to relief. "You're here," she whispered.

The Jedi walked up to Indiana, and put his hand on his arm. "Indy? Can you hear me?"

Dr. Jones gave a startled yelp and jumped back a step. "Luke? Leia?" Indy shook his head to clear his thoughts, then shuddered. "I didn't think it was possible to have wide-awake nightmares."

"We didn't have nightmares," Luke murmured. "We were given a test."

"Did we pass?" Leia asked quietly.

"We must have, or we wouldn't still be here, at least not mentally," Luke replied.

"I guess your heart must be purer than you suspect, Dr. Jones," Leia teased as they continued down the hall.

* * *

As they traveled ever deeper into the rock, oddly, the temperature started heating up. Leia removed the leather jacket and handed it back to Indy. They had used one more "key" to get past another dead-end tunnel, and now only one piece of opal remained unused. Indy had been very careful to keep the unused pieces separated from the ones that had already worked to open the walls. Indiana figured it lessened the chances of accidentally putting the incorrect piece in a keyhole. Now that they were down to the last piece, he was pleased they had avoided any deadly booby-traps.

"Why is it getting so hot in here?" Leia asked as she pushed her braided hair off her neck.

"Must be some geothermal activity near here," Indy answered. "And it is starting to smell like sulfur."

"I think we are getting close to the final piece," Luke remarked as they hiked on. "I can feel... something stirring in the Force."

They turned a corner and came to a complete halt. The floor sloped down and widened out to a huge underground cavern that was eerily lit up with its own glow. The surface bubbled and streams of vapor rose in columns from the floor. Steaming hot ponds, radiating with an underground light, sent swirls of mist from their depths.

"Wow," Leia whispered.

"I guess this is where the sulfur smell is coming from," Indy said quietly. "It's like an underground Yellowstone."

Luke turned off his lightsaber. The light was bright enough that it was no longer needed. "I think getting across this is going to be difficult," Luke murmured.

"Of course it's going to be difficult," Indy said with a tired sigh. "Since when is anything in my life ever easy?"

"I should go first," Luke said carefully as his eyes remained on the boiling cauldron. "That way I can find a safe passage across."

"Why you?" Indy shot back. "This is dangerous, and I don't like you risking your neck for me."

Leia smiled up at Indy. "Are you starting to care about us, Indiana Jones?"

The truth was, he did care about them. But he didn't want to confess that to Leia. He feared if he admitted that he cared, and the confusion he was starting to experience when he thought about them leaving, she would start to get her hopes up that he would return with them to wherever it was they came from. _I have my own life here,_ Indy kept firmly reminding himself,_ and I am not giving up my life, my memories, for another man._ "I don't want you to get hurt," Indy replied lamely.

Leia's smile grew wider. Even in this life, she knew him too well, and so he averted his gaze.

"When are you going to believe that I can use the Force to help guide me, Indy?" Luke asked him.

"I've been in a lot of tough situations, too," Indy frowned. "Don't underestimate me."

"I have never underestimated you. Not as Indiana Jones, and not as Han Solo," Luke replied.

"Fine." Indy sighed as he gave up the argument. "Go first, but be careful."

Indy and Leia watched nervously as Luke cautiously picked his way around the pools of boiling water and the expanses of hot mud. Luke was only too aware that if he placed his weight in the wrong place, and the crust of hard surface turned out to be too thin to bear his weight, he would meet a terrible end. It would be unlikely that even his Force skills would help him if he happened to fall into superheated mud. The Force certainly had not been able to help his father recover from his fall into hot lava. Every time Luke placed his foot down, he held his breath. The smell in the center of the cavern was overwhelming, and sweat ran in rivers down his back, and trickled down his face, making his eyes sting. If the place had not been so dangerous and vile smelling, it would have been beautiful. The pools of water shimmered with a green-blue underground lighting, and through the eons, the minerals had created exotic-looking, cascading tables, surrounded by curtains of stalagmites.

Finally, a nerve-racking ten minutes later, Luke reached the far side of the cavern. Smiling, he turned around and called across the steaming expanse. "I made it! Just follow my route, and you should be..."

The ground beneath his feet gave way, and Luke vanished.

"LUKE!" Without waiting for Indiana, Leia took off, barely aware she was following Luke's path across the cavern.

"Leia... wait!" Indy called after her. For a brief moment he stood frozen in fear, wondering if she too would disappear beneath the surface. When he realized she was using the same route as Luke, he took off after her, moving only slightly slower than her reckless sprint. He arrived at the edge of the hole that had swallowed Luke seconds after Leia's arrival. She stood rooted to the spot, staring down in shock. Luke lay on his back about twenty feet down, inside a lower cavern, his arms spread out and his left leg bent at an odd angle. Partially covered in the rock rubble, Luke was not moving, although his hand still grasped his turned off lightsaber. _At least he didn't fall into boiling water,_ Indy thought with a rush of relief.

"He's hurt, but he's alive," she said, gasping for breath. Quickly, Leia started the treacherous climb down the steep side of the hole.

Indy wondered how she knew Luke was still alive, but since she didn't give him the opportunity to ask, he could only follow her down into the hole. Twice, Leia almost fell in her rush to reach her brother as small rocks slipped out from under her feet, but Indy caught her both times before he decided to not let go again. "Why is this cavern so well lit?" Indy wondered as they climbed slowly down. "I don't understand where the light is coming from."

Leia heard Indy's musings, but didn't bother to respond. Her entire focus was reaching her brother and when they got to his side, she knelt down by his head and touched his face. "Luke? Can you hear me?" she pleaded softly. In response, he moaned and turned his face to her. Indy carefully tossed aside the rocks that covered the young man, wincing as he saw how twisted the broken leg looked.

"Leia?" Her brother opened his eyes, and looked up in a daze. It could have been much worse, for Luke had used the Force to lessen the impact of his fall. Still, the wind had been knocked out of his lungs, and all of his bones felt vaguely displaced.

"I'm right here," Leia reassured him. "Don't move, it looks like your leg is badly broken."

Luke focused on his leg, then wished he hadn't. It hurt fiercely. He groaned and shut his eyes. Concentrating, he used the Force to ease the pain - while the pain did not leave entirely, it faded considerably.

_How are we going to get Luke out of these caves? _Indy thought frantically. Looking around, he saw there was nothing he could use to brace the leg, or give Luke to use as a crutch. His eyes drifted further into the cavern and he heard himself give a startled gasp. "What... the hell... is that?" Indy pointed to the far edge of the large cave.

Leia turned and looked over her shoulder. The cave opened into a much larger area than where Luke had fallen. Behind her, about two hundred feet away, sat a perfectly preserved space ship. Leia immediately recognized that it was an older model, from the Clone Wars. Beyond a doubt, it was from their galaxy. "Luke," she said quietly. "I think you should look at this."

Careful of his leg, Luke twisted his body around and looked at the ship. "It's a transport, from the Clone Wars era by the looks of it," Luke said as he tried to identify the ship.

"There's so much in that sentence I don't understand that I'm not even going to ask," Indy said with a shake of his head. "But I take it you recognize that thing."

"It's from our galaxy," Leia answered Indy. "That model hasn't been manufactured for years."

"Can you help me up?" Luke asked wearily.

Carefully, Indy put his arm around Luke's waist, gently easing him up. "That's got to hurt," he said in sympathy as he looked at the young man's leg dangling limply, right below the knee.

"It hurts, but I can use the Force to help me deal with the pain," Luke replied.

"Really?" Indy remarked as he raised his eyebrow. "Can you teach me how to use this power? It sounds like it's something I could use... with great frequency."

Leia laughed at the statement. "Now that's something Han would never have wanted to do - become a Jedi!"

"A Jedi?"

"That's what people who are strong in the Force usually train to become - Jedi," Luke explained as he hobbled, with Indy's assistance, toward the spaceship. "Not everyone is Force-strong, Indy. I am, and so is Leia, even though she is untrained."

"So I take it I'm not?"

"No, sorry," Luke said with a smile. "Your talents lie elsewhere."

"That's all right." Indy laughed. "I'm not sure jumping in front of bullets would be something I'd want to do on a regular basis, anyway."

Reaching the ship, Leia looked up at the underside. "I guess this answers the question of where the light is coming from," she said to the men. Indeed, the ship seemed to pulsate with a soft greenish-blue glow. "I wonder how it's still giving off light."

"The final piece of the pyramid is inside the ship," Luke informed her. "I can feel it."

Luke shut his eyes again and concentrated. The ramp gave a groan of protest, refusing to lower to the surface. Suddenly Luke opened his eyes. "It needs a key."

"A key?" Leia questioned with a frown. Ramps generally lowered with either codes or palm prints. Keys would have been considered archaic, even back during the Clone Wars.

"The final opal piece is the key," Indy guessed with a grin.

"Yes, I believe it is."

Luke waited, leaning against Leia, as Indy rummaged around and took out the only piece of opal they had not used. Walking up to the ship, Indy slid the opal into a matching hole near the closed ramp. Obediently, the ramp lowered. Indiana turned, and gave Leia a wink.

"Don't get cocky," she shot over as she helped Luke limp forward. Jones quickly stepped next to Luke, and let the young man lean on him. Slowly, they made their way into the stale interior of the ship.

"I can't believe I'm actually on a spaceship," Indy whispered in awe.

"Do you believe we're from another galaxy now?" Luke asked, looking up at the taller man.

"It's getting pretty hard for me to deny."

"We should go check out the cockpit first," Leia said. Luke agreed, and they went into the small cockpit. "These instructions are in Shyriiwook. This ship must have belonged to Wookiees," Leia told Luke. "I wonder what happened to the pilots of this ship?"

"Undoubtedly, they were the same Wookiees that wrote the plea for help on the wall," Luke answered. "Don't forget, Leia, when Baxjaqua sent us here, he sent us to a different _time_ as well as a different place. Even though the Clone Wars only happened thirty years ago in _our _past, it could have happened thousands of years ago in _this_ past. I believe we were sent far into the future, and the Wookiees that came here are long dead, either from old age or accident. We need to find the last pyramid piece, and I think I know where to look."

Leaning heavily on Indy, Luke pointed directions to Dr. Jones, and soon they were in the main engine area. The compartment was round, and in the center of the room sat a pedestal. On top of the column was the last piece - a tiny pyramid that was sending a beam of blue light directly up, to the top of the room. "Our light source is the Force," Luke whispered as he picked up the small glowing triangle. The Force was intensely strong now. Luke could feel his entire body tingle with energy.

Indy quickly removed the five broken pieces from his knapsack and assembled them. Then Leia and Indy stepped back as Luke gently placed the last piece on the pinnacle. The pyramid began glowing so brightly that they were forced to turn their faces for a moment, until the light dimmed to a bearable glow.

"It's not cracked anymore," Indy said quietly as he stared at the beautiful object as it shimmered and pulsed. Indy was now positive this object was no ordinary piece of opal.

"And neither is my leg," Luke commented as he flexed his lower limb. There was no pain..it had healed completely.

"It _does_ heal," Indy said, surprised. "I guess Walsh was right."

Leia walked up to the pyramid, staring at it for a long moment. "Now I remember."

"What?"

She turned to Luke and Indy. "When I was a little girl, my father told me about the Clone Wars and the extermination of all the Jedi. The Wookiee Jedi had a powerful talisman, a pyramid, which Palpatine longed to get his hands on. When Palpatine was having all the Jedi in the galaxy murdered, the Wookiees knew they couldn't allow their talisman to fall into the Emperor's hands. So they sent it far away, along with the last living Wookiee Jedi and their best pilots, to hide it somewhere safe. Somewhere the Emperor would never be able to find it. According to the Wookiees of Kashyyyk, there can never be Wookiees that are Jedi until the pyramid is returned. This is the Wookiee talisman... this planet is the hiding place."

"Sometimes things happen for a reason, Leia," Luke murmured. "Maybe Han being sent here by Baxjaqua was the will of the Force."

Leia looked at her brother and swallowed a lump in her throat. "If it's the will of the Force that I lose Han in order to find this pyramid, I can't say I'm too crazy about the trade-off."

Walking up behind the Princess, Indy put his arm around her waist. "I know you're not too fond of Earth, but I haven't exactly been suffering," he said, trying his best to soothe her.

Leia turned in his arms and buried her face in his shirt. She didn't want to leave this planet without him.

* * *

"What are you going to tell Walsh?" Luke asked as the Jeep bounced along the gravel road. They had exited Ayers Rock with little problem - the corridors had opened at their approach, then sealed again firmly behind them. No one would ever be able to tell there had been an entrance, and without the keys, it would never open again.

"I'll tell him it was a dead end," Indy replied.

"What about the pieces of opal?" Leia worried. "He'll think you stole them."

"Hey, I'll just tell him _you_ stole them," he laughed. "It's kind of the truth, and he'll never be able to find you anyway."

"How long before we get to this mountain range?" Luke asked Indy. "What's it called, Flinders?"

"Only about a day, day and a half," he answered. "You'll be home in no time."

"No time at all," Leia whispered to herself as she watched the desert pass by.

* * *

Night

Lying on his side in the tent, Indy decided this would be his last chance to ask questions. "What's the name of your planet?"

"I was raised on a system called Tatooine. Leia was raised on Alderaan."

"Different planets?" he marveled.

"Where we're from, traveling from system to system takes less time than traveling from continent to continent on Earth," Luke replied.

"How did you two meet?"

"We were both fighting on the same side of a war," Leia said softly.

"Something our cultures have in common then," Indy remarked. "War."

"Unfortunately, that's true," Leia answered.

"How come you two never, um, got together? I mean, it looks like you're the same age, and you get along so well," Indy said carefully.

"Leia and I are brother and sister," Luke laughed. "Twins."

"And you grew up on different planets?"

"We were separated at birth," the Jedi answered.

"Oh. How Charles Dickens," Jones mused.

"Who?" Leia questioned.

Indy grinned. "Never mind."

"So, can I ask you a question, Dr. Jones?" Leia asked.

"Sure, shoot."

"Why did you become an archeologist?"

"I followed in my father's footsteps," he replied. "I know - it sounds stupid."

"No, it's not," she said quietly. "I followed in my father's footsteps. I became a politician."

Indy smiled at Leia. "Something else we have in common: following our father's footsteps."

"Yes," Leia agreed sadly. "Something else, indeed."

* * *

The next day.

"There's Flinders Ranges," Indy informed them as the ragged mountains came into view. "Your mountain with the cave is called Vulture's Eye, and it's at the northern edge of the range. We should be there in about four hours."

Two hours later, Indy turned off the road, and they bounced along the rocky desert floor. By the time they actually got close enough to the mountain to begin hiking, Luke thought his teeth may have rattled out of his mouth. Indy finally stopped the Jeep. "This is as far as I can safely take the Jeep," he informed his passengers. "From here we have to hike."

"That's fine with me," Luke quickly put in. "I think I'm ready to walk after all those bumpy roads."

"Are you hiking with us to the mountain, Indy?" Leia asked.

"I wouldn't miss seeing this for the world," Jones answered with a grin.

Leia smiled back with relief. It would mean a few more hours she could spend with Han - and despite everything, she still could not stop thinking of him as Han.

They hiked for a little over two hours before reaching the rocky slope that lead up to the cave. "This is it." Luke paused and looked up at the cave. "Exactly like it was on Terrall."

"I have to say, it doesn't look any different than any of the other million or so caves on Earth," Indy remarked as he pushed his fedora back slightly.

"Ayers Rock wasn't just a rock, either, was it?" Luke returned as he glanced at Indy.

"Got me there, Luke," Jones said with a smile. "Come on, let's go."

Slowly and carefully, they began the climb to the cave. Halfway there, the ground began shaking - slowly at first and then with greater and greater intensity. The loose rocks started tumbling down the hill and the climbers dropped to their knees seeking something to hold in order to stop their slide down. Luke quickly caught himself on a larger, firmly entrenched boulder. Indy skidded down several yards before catching a sickly looking, but strongly rooted shrub. Unable to find anything to grab, Leia started slipping painfully down the hill, her clothing ripping on the jagged stones.

"Leia!" Indy screamed as he tried, and failed, to grasp her as she skidded past.

Using her untrained Force abilities, she managed to slow her descent and looked up the hill at Jones. _Just like my dream_, she thought in a daze. She watched as Indy uncoiled his whip and tossed the end to her, while he held the handle. Quickly, she grabbed the narrow end, wound it around her hand, and determinedly pulled herself back up the slope.

"Leia!" Luke shouted from further up the hill. "Are you all right?"

The ground slowed its trembling, and then stopped. Indy grabbed Leia around the waist. "Are you okay?" he repeated Luke's question.

"I'm fine," she gasped out. "Just a little scratched up."

"Let's get to that cave," Indy suggested, and helped her climb the rest of the way. Once in the dim cave interior, Indy looked around, rather disappointed. "So much for having some archeological interest. This is just a big, empty cave."

Leia looked over to her brother. "How do we get the portal to appear?"

The Jedi stood staring at the spot that the maw had appeared before, touching the leather satchel that Indy had given him to hold the pyramid. "I'm not sure. I hope we're not too late." The words had barely left Luke's mouth when the trembling began again, this time much stronger. Rocks from the ceiling of the cave started to rain down.

"I don't think it's safe in here," Indy murmured as he looked up.

Suddenly, the portal appeared, its edges undefined and the image flickering, as if it were a defective holo-image. "Leia, it's opening!" Luke pointed. "We have to hurry!"

Leia spun on her heel and stared at Indy, trying to memorize his features, knowing she'd never see him again. She stepped up to him and embraced him. "I love you, Han," she whispered into his chest, her throat tight. "I'll never forget you."

"I'll never forget you either, Leia," Indy replied as he returned her intense hug. "You'd better go."

Quickly, she pushed away and headed for the portal. Behind her, a loud crack sounded as a large portion of the roof of the cave gave way. "Indy! Watch out," Luke yelled. The young Jedi used the Force, pulling Jones away as a huge wall of rock crashed down, blocking the exit. Even as fast as Luke had acted, a fist-sized rock glanced off the back of Jones's skull. Indiana went down, unconscious.

Leia rushed over to Indy's side, coughing on the thick layer of dust. The trembling ground only increased in intensity. "Leia, the portal is failing! We have to go now!"

She turned and looked up at Luke. "We can't leave Indy! He's trapped in here! He'll die!"

Rushing over, Luke hoisted Indy up, holding his limp arm across his shoulder. "I guess you're coming with us anyway, Dr. Jones," he said to the unhearing man. Leia picked up the hat that had fallen off Indy's head and held on to his other side. Together, they stepped through the portal.

* * *

The cave on the other side of the portal was in the same disarray as the one they just left. The ground was shaking, rocks were breaking off the sides and top of the cave. With eerie suddenness, the cave stopped trembling. The entrance to this cave was also blocked with rubble, just like the one on Earth had been.

_I cannot stay any longer. My time is over._

"Wait," Leia called out to the voice. "What about Han's memories?"

There was no answer. "Leia, look," Luke said as he pointed to the wall that held the memory crystals. One by one, the glowing crystals flickered and went dark. "Baxjaqua is gone," the Jedi said as he felt the life-force of the strange being dim and fade away.

"How are we going to get out of this cave?"

"I can use the Force to remove the rocks, but it's going to be time-consuming."

A distant humming sound filled the cave. "A tractor beam," Luke said as he identified the sound. "Chewie must be pulling the rocks away from the entrance with the _Falcon_."

Hurriedly, they carried Indy to the deepest portion of the cave, and watched as the rocks pulled away from the mouth of the cave. As soon as a space was cleared large enough for them to exit, they headed for the bright daylight. A roar greeted them as they pulled themselves out of the hole. "Chewie!" Leia called down to the excited Wookiee.

With amazing speed, Chewbacca reached them, and lifted Indy gently into his strong arms. *You found him. Why is he unconscious?* he woofed, turning worried blue eyes to Leia.

"He was hit on the head with a rock. We need to get him into the _Falcon_," she instructed. Quickly the Wookiee carried his friend toward the ship. Leia turned to Luke. "Should we use the talisman for Indy's head injury?"

"We should scan his injury before we use the pyramid on him, Leia. I'm not sure something as powerful as the pyramid should be used for minor injuries. If the scan shows problems, I'll use it to help him."

Leia nodded her agreement with her brother, then asked. "How are we going to tell Chewie that it's not Han?"

Luke put his hand on his sister's shoulder. "It _is_ Han," he quietly reminded her.

_And one way or the other,_ Leia realized with a surge of happiness, _I have him back._

* * *

The_ Millennium Falcon _made the jump into hyperspace with Luke and Chewie at the controls, their destination Coruscant. Leia sat next to Indy, who was lying on the medic cot and beginning to regain awareness. Scans had indicated he had a very mild concussion, and that he would not require specialized treatment. The Princess was truly worried about Indy's reaction when he woke. What if he blamed them for bringing him to their galaxy? He might not even believe that the entrance from the cave had been blocked. How would he deal with such a strange, new place? Would he accept Chewie? Leia had seen the concern in the Wookiee's eyes when they had filled him in on the situation. If Indy was afraid of Chewie, or simply could not accept him, Leia knew Chewie would be devastated.

Indy moaned, bringing Leia's attention back to the cot. Leaning forward, she put her hand on his forehead. "Indy, you're going to be all right."

Squinting, he opened his eyes. "Where am I?"

"You're on Han's ship - it's called the _Millennium Falcon_, and we are on our way to a planet called Coruscant to get you medical attention," she answered quickly, hoping her words made some sense. "A rather large rock fell on your head, and knocked you out. You'll be fine."

"The '_Millennium Falcon'_? So people in your galaxy like naming things, too?" Indy grinned up at her.

Leia felt relieved that he didn't appear to be angry. "Yes, we do." Her eyes shifted away and then back to his face. "The portal is forever gone, Indy," she whispered. "The creature that allowed us to use the portal died."

"So I'm trapped here... forever?"

"I'm so sorry."

"Don't be. It wasn't your fault, and I'm not sorry to be here." Indy admitted, just as startled at his confession as Leia was.

"So, you're, um, not angry?" Leia asked carefully. "The cave entrance had collapsed," she explained further. "If we left you behind, you probably would have died."

Indy reached for her hand and squeezed her fingers. "It's all right, really. I'm not angry." He gave a jump as a loud roar filled the doorway. The huge Wookiee appeared, looking into the room with deep concern.

"This is Chewbacca," Leia informed him. "Han Solo's co-pilot. You remember, the Wookiee we told you about?"

"Yes, I remember," he replied, struggling into a seated position.

Unable to resist, Chewie quickly stepped forward and scooped the man he only knew as Han into his strong embrace. *Cub, I have missed you so much!*

"Chewie," Luke stepped forward. "He doesn't remember you. You're probably scaring him to death."

Gently, the Wookiee put Indy on his feet. *I do not want to frighten you, cub.*

"It's okay, you just startled me," Indy answered without thought. "I'm not frightened."

"Indy?" Luke asked slowly.

"Yeah?"

"Do you _understand_ Chewie?"

A look of shock passed over Indiana's face. "I _do_ understand him. Every word. How is that possible?"

"I don't know," Luke replied. "Is anything else familiar?"

"I... I'm not sure."

"Maybe Baxjaqua managed to put Han's memories back before he died," Leia suggested hopefully.

"It's possible," Luke mused. "It's also possible that only part of his memories were restored before Baxjaqua ceased to exist. Or perhaps the pyramid has something to do with this."

*His memories are the least of my concerns,* Chewie barked out. *As long as he is safely home, we can deal with the rest later.*

* * *

Indy sat in the small hold of the ship dressed in clean clothes that supposedly belonged to him. A white shirt, a vest with pockets, and dark blue, tight fitting pants with a gold stripe up the legs. Indy felt somewhat self-conscious wearing such form fitting slacks, and wondered if perhaps he was a bit heavier than Han had been. Leia and Luke had either not noticed or been too polite to mention his pants. Leia had, however, gotten teary-eyed seeing him dressed as Han Solo, and that had only made Indy even more uncomfortable.

Luke sat across the small checkered table, watching his reactions, while Leia and Chewie prepared dinner. "How's your head feeling?"

"It hurts a little, but it's not bad."

"Anything else look familiar?" the Jedi prodded gently.

"No...sorry."

"That's all right," Leia soothed as she put steaming plates down on the table. "I hope this food tastes acceptable... I know it will be different than what you're used to normally eating."

"I'm sure it's fine."

"Indy," Luke tentatively began. "This is just a suggestion, but I could use the Force to probe into your mind. Maybe I would be able to help you remember your life as Han."

Indiana looked somewhat askance. "Probe my mind? That sounds.. uh.. painful."

Luke smiled. "I would never do anything to hurt you, Indy. Like I said, it's just a suggestion."

* * *

Coruscant, three days later

The city planet of Coruscant left Indy speechless. He stared, wide-eyed as a child, as speeders flew overhead and the various non-humans and droids buzzed about. The four climbed into a speeder, and Luke turned it toward the Medical tower. Seeing it through Indy's eyes made Leia appreciate Coruscant in a way she had never been able to do before.

Two hours later, Indy sat on the edge of a bed, warily watching as a machine that vaguely resembled a human ran bizarre-looking equipment over his head and torso. The machine turned to Leia. "There was minimal damage to Captain Solo's skull, which has healed satisfactorily, and there are no further injuries. He does, however, require a minor adjustment to his eyesight."

"Thank you, Two-One Dee. We'll get his vision problem corrected later." Leia answered politely. She turned to Indy. "Are you ready to leave?"

"More than ready, Princess."

"What did you just call me?"

"Uh.. _Princess_," Indy repeated contritely. "I'm sorry. I didn't mean it as an insult."

"I _am_ a Princess, Indy." She turned to her brother and Chewie. "Luke, Chewie, did you ever tell Indy I was a Princess?"

Both shook their heads negatively. "I think you might be slowly started to remember things, Indy," Luke remarked. "Have you given any thought to the idea of letting me use the Force to see if I can open Han's memories?"

Indy turned away abruptly. "I don't want to cease to exist, either," he whispered, almost to himself.

The young Jedi came up behind him. "I know your life as Indiana Jones is just as important as Han Solo's life. I have no intention of destroying that part of you."

Indy exhaled the breath he had been holding. "All right, I'll let you try."

* * *

As they made their way back to the_ Falcon_, Leia found herself wishing that she hadn't given up her apartment on Coruscant. Although she no longer had any intention of going through with the wedding to Isolder, the fact remained the big event was less than four weeks away and she had yet to contact her soon-to-be ex-fiancé. Informing Isolder that she was calling off the wedding was not something Leia was looking forward to - she fully expected enormous repercussions from her announcement. Leia knew that Luke and Chewie would be there to support her when she told the Prince and Queen Ta'a Chume. Still, her stomach knotted up every time she thought about the upcoming confrontation.

* * *

Arriving back at the_ Falcon _took less time than Indy anticipated. He trusted Luke, but this notion of using some type of unseen power to go into his head frightened him. Despite the young man's reassurances, Indy was afraid that something could go wrong, and he would end up either brain damaged, or worse, dead. And the possibility that Han Solo might simply erase Indiana from existence was never far from his mind, either.

* * *

Luke could sense the uncertainty and turmoil in the emotions radiating from both his sister and his friend. In truth, the young Jedi was nervous about trying to retrieve Han's memories as well. He meant every word he had told Indy, but the fact remained he had never done anything like this. What if something went wrong? What if he destroyed Indy in the attempt to find Han? What if he destroyed Indy and failed to locate Han's memories, and in the process put Indy into a coma? Luke tried to banish such thoughts and focus on drawing the Force to him. _The Force will guide me_, he thought as he clenched his jaw and pushed aside negative feelings.

Once inside the _Falcon_, Luke had Indy lie down on Han's cot. He had asked Leia and Chewie to wait in the hold. Luke pulled up a chair and sat down. "Have you ever done this type of thing before?" Indy inquired casually.

"No, sorry. This is the first time."

"Oh. Lucky me."

Luke grinned at Indy's dry humor. For a few minutes, Luke shut his eyes and concentrated, drawing on the Force to guide him. Gently he placed one hand on Indy's forehead, the other he rested on his chest. Time seemed to stand still as Luke slowly guided his Force-sense into Indy's mind and memories. The richness of the archeologist's life flooded his senses. Indy's mother.. his father... a pretty young girl named Marion, whose remembrance brought forth both fondness and shame. The fact that Indiana's name was actually Henry Jones, Jr., but he used Indiana to annoy his father.... his daredevil, death-defying adventures.... All these things and more came to Luke's mind. Not certain what he needed to locate, Luke kept searching, until he finally reached a strange divide in Indy's mind, almost like a wall. Gently Luke pushed: the wall refused to yield. The Jedi probed more insistently against the barrier. And still it refused him entry. Luke sat back, confused and frustrated.

Indy opened his eyes. "Not working?"

"No," Luke shook his head. "There is a barrier in your mind, and I can't get past it." Then the Jedi smiled. "I have an idea." Getting up, Luke quickly went to retrieve the pyramid, and returned to the cot.

"How is that going to help? Indy questioned. "I don't think I'm exactly injured."

"I disagree, Indy," Luke said quietly. "I think that is exactly what Baxjaqua did to you - he injured your memories." Holding the pyramid in his right hand, Luke placed his left hand back on his friend's forehead. The young Jedi reached out again for the divide in Indy's mind, and the pyramid began glowing, as it had in the Wookiee space ship. And then the wall in Indy's mind gave way.

All the memories that belonged to Han Solo spilled out, and overwhelmed Indy's mind. His eyes shot open and he gasped in shock, trying to sit up. "No," Luke instructed firmly. "Lie back down! I need to help you sort this through." Using the Force, perhaps in a different way than he intended, Luke pushed his friend down.

Whether Baxjaqua had returned Han's memories before he ceased, or whether the memories of Han Solo had been hidden in the deep reaches of Indiana Jone's mind and the pyramid freed his memories, Luke wasn't certain. For a while, confusion and turmoil swirled in his friend's mind and senses. Luke remained steadfast and eased the fear from Han's and Indy's mind. Slowly, over the course of more than a standard hour, Luke was able to help sort out the dual memories of his friend. When he was certain the danger had passed, Luke pushed Han down into a restful sleep, then quietly got up and left the room.

Soaked with sweat, Luke entered the hold where Chewie and Leia nervously waited. Leia leaped up and rushed over to her brother. "What happened?"

A huge smile broke out on Luke's face. "We have Han back, sister."

* * *

Two hours later, Leia was still pacing between the ship's hold and the cockpit. "Leia, will you sit down?"

"Why did you have to make him sleep? I want to see him!"

Luke laughed. "You_ have _been seeing him, for a couple of weeks already."

"You know what I mean," she glared at Luke.

"What's all this racket? A guy can't get a decent nap in this ship if he tried."

"Han!" Leia spun around and threw herself into his arms. "Are you really back?"

He kissed the top of her head. "I'm back, sweetheart... I'm back."

Chewie let out a huge roar and gathered both Leia and Han up into a tight embrace. "Hey, pal," Han gasped out. "You're kinda crushing us here."

The giant Wookiee set his friends down. *After three years, cub, I finally have you back home! I should pull your arms out of their sockets for leaving us!*

"Hey! It wasn't my fault!" Han protested.

Laughter filled the hold. "It's great to have you home, Han," Luke said as he hugged his friend.

"Well, kid," Solo drawled out. "I think you had a lot to do with it."

"Han?" Leia began carefully. "Do you remember Indy?"

Solo turned and left the hold. Leia looked at Luke in concern. "Did I say the wrong thing?"

A moment later, Han returned holding Indy's whip. He lashed out at a small metal cup on the game board and sent it flying. Then he turned to Leia and grinned. "I remember Dr. Indiana Jones just fine."

"How are you handling the extra memories?" Leia asked.

Solo frowned a second. "It's strange.... and kind of confusing. I have to stop and think whose life I'm remembering."

"I think that will get better with time, Han. Or do you prefer to be called Indy?" Luke teased Solo.

"Honestly? I'd answer to either name. Indy's not gone, you know."

"And I'm glad of that. I made a promise."

"Speaking as Indy, I appreciate it."

* * *

That night.

Leia lay in Han's arms in the dim light of the _Falcon's_ cabin. "Han?"

"Ya?"

She wiggled and looked up at him, smiling. "Nothing. I just like to be able to call you Han and have you answer."

He grinned back and gave a deep chuckle. "Leia?"

"Yes?"

"Will you marry me?"

At first, she wasn't certain she had heard correctly. Unable to resist, she answered, "That depends."

"On what?" Han asked suspiciously.

"On who is asking... Han or Indy."

"Does it really matter?"

"No," she laughed softly. "I'll marry either one. Or both."

"Good thing, cuz you're getting both."

She settled back against his chest, trying to work up the courage to tell him about Isolder. "I need to tell you something," she began softly.

* * *

Just as Leia feared, initially Han had not reacted well to the news that she had gotten engaged in his absence.

_"Han, this is a very difficult thing for me to tell you."_

_"As long as you're not married, it'll be okay!" he joked._

_"I'm not married... I'm engaged."_

_Silence. Finally, Han sat up. "Engaged? To who?"_

_"His name is Prince Isolder, and I agreed to marry him because the Hapans said they would join with the New Republic if I did," Leia had explained quickly. "I don't love him... I've never loved anyone but you."_

Han had gotten out of bed and left the room without further comment. Later, after speaking to Luke, he had insisted that he was not angry about the fact that Leia had moved on with her life three years after his "death", but that she would throw her future away for political reasons. _"Why would she agree to marry someone she doesn't love? I just can't understand that!" Han had ranted to his friend._

_"She thought you were dead, Han," Luke calmly replied. "She believed she had lost the only man she could ever love, and if an arranged marriage could help the New Republic, why not?"_

_"Why not? How can you say that? She's your sister, you should want her to be happy!" Han had shot back. "You should have made her see reason!"_

_"I tried, Han," Luke answered softly. "You don't understand how deeply depressed she was after you disappeared. Would you rather that she was in love with Isolder?"_

With that question, it finally dawned on Han that if she_ had _loved Prince Isolder, he would have lost her completely. Han took a deep breath and forced himself to calm down - this ability coming more from his "Indy" side than Han's much shorter temper and tendency toward jealousy.

* * *

Leia had noticed Han was quicker to see reason, and far less inclined to mood swings than he had been before his life-altering experience. When the Princess had mentioned this difference to Luke, he had smiled and agreed with her assessment. Luke pointed out to his sister that Indiana's childhood, with both a mother and father, had been far less traumatic than Han Solo's had been. Perhaps, as Luke suggested, Indy's more stable childhood was a steadying influence, so Han now felt less deep-seated insecurities and feelings of inferiority. Whatever the reasons, Leia decided she liked this "new" Han.

* * *

Five days later, en route to Hapes

Sitting in the cockpit, Han contemplated everything that had changed in the galaxy during the past three years. While he was truly grateful to be back, he also missed his life as Indiana. Staring at the blur of stars, he wondered what had happened on Earth after his disappearance. Would Marcus try to find him? Did his father even care he was gone? According to Luke, he was now in Earth's past, so would he even_ exist _in the future of Earth? He jumped slightly when he felt a hand on his shoulder. "Leia," he smiled up at the Princess.

"A credit for your thoughts."

"They're not worth a credit," he grinned up at her.

She sat down in the co-pilot's seat. "Isolder isn't going to take my leaving very well," she started out. "I need you to try and not make things worse, okay?"

"Who, me?" he asked, pointing to his chest innocently.

"Yes, you," she reached over and touched his face. " I suspect the Queen Ta'a Chume will try to make things harder on me than Isolder. Don't lose your temper."

"I'll try to behave," Han promised. "But I have a real hard time staying calm when people start insulting you."

"I know. And I love you, nerfherder. Keep that in mind."

* * *

Hapes, two days later.

Leia sat at a large conference table with Han and Luke on either side of her, and Chewie sitting next to Han. Prince Isolder and his mother were seated on the opposite side of the table, looking angry and belligerent. Taking a deep breath, she began. "Isolder, I can't marry you. I'm sorry."

Isolder's face flushed bright red, and his fists clenched. "How dare you break our engagement, for this... this... common criminal."

"Don't you call.."

The Queen Mother interrupted Leia's defense of Han. "If you go ahead with this foolish idea, I can guarantee that the New Republic will be considered our enemies, not our allies."

"Isolder, doesn't it bother you that my sister doesn't love you?" Luke asked quietly.

"Love has nothing to do with Royal Marriages," Ta'a Chume huffed.

"Not to mention those arranged marriages turn out such nice, well-adjusted kids," Han mumbled under his breath. He was _trying_ to be good and not say anything, but these Hapans were making it difficult.

"What did you say?" Isolder shot back at Han, rising to his feet. Instantly, Chewbacca also stood and gave a warning roar, but the Prince didn't pay any attention to the protective Wookiee. He was itching for a fight, and he didn't need much of an excuse to throw the first punch at Han. "You take off for three years and then come waltzing back into Leia's life as if you own her! Well, she's mine now - get used to the idea!"

"You don't own me either, Isolder," Leia snapped, giving a quick glance over at Han, worried he might reach for his trusty blaster. She was gratified to see that Han was looking more amused than angry, and once again she realized just how much influence Indiana was having on his reactions.

"I think everyone needs to calm down," Luke put in quickly.

"Shut up, Skywalker," Isolder turned to Luke. "This is your fault. You're the one who dragged Leia off on some false pretense!" He looked back at Leia, glaring at her and pointing his finger. "You lied to me. You knew perfectly well that Skywalker was running off to search for this worthless smuggler, and you went with him!"

"That is true, my dear," the Queen said primly. "This behavior speaks very poorly of your upbringing."

Leia was furious. Standing, she glared at Ta'a Chume. "This has gone far enough. I will not be blackmailed into a marriage to your son. I should never have agreed to marry him, and it's over. I can't make it much clearer than that."

"You're willing to destroy the relations between the Hapans and the New Republic for this... man?" Isolder sneered at the Princess.

Luke stood up beside his sister. "And you would rather marry someone who could never love you? Who would resent you for the rest of her life? Is that such a better option?"

With shocking speed, Isolder flung himself across the table, one hand grabbing the front of Han's shirt, the other striking the Corellian across the jaw with such force that Han would have been thrown from his chair if Isolder had not been holding him. He tasted the iron tang of his own blood a second before he felt the pain. Han quickly stood, using his leverage to break the Prince's grip on his shirt, and delivered his own return punch to the underside of Isolder's chin. The Prince's head snapped back, but he rolled quickly atop the table to avoid a second blow from his opponent. Chewie roared in rage and made his own grab at the Prince, narrowly missing Isolder's arm.

"Han! Isolder!" Leia yelled at the men as Luke quickly moved to intercede. "Stop!"

Luke grasped Han's arm and pulled him away from the Prince, who had leapt to his feet on Han's side of the table. Isolder made a second lunge for Solo, but Luke pushed him backwards using the Force before Chewie could intercept the Prince and make matters worse. Isolder went backpedaling, and landed on his back as he fell in an ungraceful heap over a chair. "Enough, Isolder," Luke ordered.

"You are quite correct, Skywalker," Ta'a Chume stated as she tilted her chin up. "This is enough. Please take your sister and your so-called friends and leave Hapes immediately, or I will have you all arrested for attacking my son."

Han started to reply, but Leia quickly put her hand over his mouth. "We're leaving. I'm sorry it had to end so bitterly, Isolder, and I hope someday you can find a wife that will love you. Goodbye." She pulled Han out the door, with Luke and Chewie following.

"That went well," Han commented as he rubbed his throbbing jaw.

* * *

Epilogue

Three days later

Kashyyyk

A formal ceremony marked the return of the Force pyramid to the Wookiees of Kashyyyk. *On behalf of the future Jedi of Kashyyyk, we thank you for returning our long lost talisman, the Ryckkryn, which our people greatly value. We can never repay this debt to you.* The elder Wookiee Moorllakk bowed to the three humans and Chewbacca.

"It's our privilege to be able to return the Ryckkryn to you," Leia spoke through Threepio, who stood by translating. "You owe us no debt, other than providing the galaxy future Jedi."

Luke stepped forward and presented the iridescent pyramid to Moorllakk. The old Wookiee took the pyramid reverently into his hands and held it up for all to see. A cheer went up from the assembled Wookiees. The talisman was finally home.

* * *

The small group made their way slowly back to the _Falcon_ through the huge tree branches that held the homes of the Wookiee population. The past few days, to both Leia and Luke's amusement, Han had taken to wearing Indy's leather jacket rather than his black vest, along with his Corellian style pants, boots and white shirt. Solo also wore the battered fedora almost constantly. Han nervously eyed the tree branches above their heads as they walked along.

"Worried about snakes?" Luke asked casually, trying to keep from smiling. Han shot Luke a warning glare, and Luke laughed before questioning his friend. "Well, Indy, are you eager to find treasures in this galaxy, too?"

"Maybe, kid," Han replied, not even noticing that Luke called him Indy. The Corellian smiled as he looked down at the beautiful Princess on his arm. "But I think I've already got the best treasure this galaxy has to offer."

**THE END**


End file.
